Seven Dates
by Umbra Mortis
Summary: Elsa takes a break from the mundane to go speed dating, but not everything is as it seems. In seven dates, how much can you really know about someone?
1. Chapter 1

Seven Dates – Chapter 1:

The taxi pulled up outside the restaurant. _Crap, I'm late. Just a little _late. Elsa stepped out of the taxi fumbling to pull out a note from her purse. The night is cold with a bitter wind adding an extra bite. Unwilling to keep her friend any longer she tells the driver to keep the change. Elsa studies the restaurant front, all she can see is a main desk with two corridors either side. There is a theme of elegance in the restaurant. Paintings with extravagant frames, bold red wallpaper with black stencils of flowers; dark pine lining the skirting boards, and a thick red carpet. Elsa steps inside, breathing out a heavy sigh of relief when feeling the warmth against her face. The receptionist looks her way, a look of boredom clear on her face. All that was missing would be a nail file and for the girl to be chewing gum to fit the stereotype to the letter.

"I-I uh... I'm here for the uh, speed dating?" Elsa said trying to catch her breath. The receptionist rolled her eyes and gestured to the corridor on her left. Elsa nodded with a 'Thank you' before heading down the corridor. There was a open door frame at the end of the hall on the right. As Elsa got closer she could here peoples voices growing louder. Her stomach churned with nervousness, _Why am I doing this? Violet, you _so_ owe me_. Elsa turned through the doorway expecting a restaurant with couples seated at every table. Instead, she was greeted with a large white banner with bold black text reading '**Speed dating!**_**'**_. Elsa raised her eyebrows with narrowed eyes to give the impression of _Really?_

"Hiiiiiii!" A high pitch voice cried making Elsa jump slightly. "Are you here for the speed dating? We're just about to go through the rules for this evening." The voice belonged to a short young woman, no bigger than 5-1'' with shoulder length black hair, excitement clear in her features.

Elsa felt the embarrassment in her cheeks when she realized that she had been the last to arrive... and that all of the evening participants were in a group staring at her. "Oh, u-um, yes I believe I am."

The short girl smiled broadly at Elsa, "Come, come, join the group". Elsa, still red faced, quietly slipped to the back of the group, looking down to avoid the eyes on her. "Now then, welcome everyone to our weekly speed dating! I'm Nicole and I'll be the host for this evening. First off, how many of you have been speed dating before?" A few members of the group raised their hands. "Right, well, lots to go through then!" The girl took a deep breath in before beginning to talk at an incredible speed. "Sooooooo, first each girl gets a table. Guys sit on the opposite side of the table. When the bell rings after around three minutes all the girls-NO WAIT- all the _guys_ move to the table on the left. If you reach the end table on the left walk to the furthest table on the right and begin working your way left again. The night is over once you've met each person once." The girl exhaled. Elsa had barely been able to keep up. She wondered how the girl hadn't passed out after the first sentence.

A person raised their hand in front. A large man with a brown mustache, green jumper and a hat clearly too small for his head. The man spoke with a Deutsch accent. "There is a scoring system, ya? We mark boxes for each person?"

Nicole raised her hands to emphasis her surprise at her forgetfulness "Oh yes, of course! You'll be given a piece of paper with the numbers one to-" She stopped to stand on her tip-toes to get a head count. "-_fifteen, sixteen_, sixteen! One to sixteen. You write down the persons name at the beginning. We collect the paper at the end, if both people have marked that they enjoyed their date then we'll give you both each other numbers." The girl giggled like a school child. "Then the rest is up to you guys."

Elsa looked around at her following dates for the evening. None sparked any particular interest and she certainly couldn't imagine giving out her number to any one of them. _Speaking of which, I don't see Violet. Where is she?_ Elsa quickly slipped out her phone to give her friend a quick text. "Yo, where you at? I don't see you." She returned her phone to her pocket and attempted to pick up the speech from Nicole.

"-and we'll be monitoring each table closely. If any one of you feels in danger or threatened then stand up and walk away immediatley." That last rule made Elsa twice as nervous about who she would be talking with. "Apart from that. Girls!" The black haired girl clapped her hands together. "Collect your paper from me then go find a table. We'll send each guy over to a random table."

Elsa made her way to the table second from the right. Some of the other girls had broken the rule of only sitting at one side straight away, but the host didn't seem to mind. Elsa felt her phone buzz lightly in her pocket. She pulled it out to reveal a text from Violet. "Wait, whaaa? Didn't you get my facebook message about not going tonight? Kind of got cold feet halfway through the day."

Elsa drew her eyebrows together with anger, typing furiously on the touch-screen keyboard. "NO. NO I DIDN'T. YOU MEAN I'M HERE ALONE?! AND WHY WOULD YOU NOT TEXT ME THIS!?"

The response is immediate. "I keep telling you to check your facebook more often! Why waste texts when I can send you messages on there for free? Anyway, good luck have fun Icey ;)" Elsa put her phone away, scowl clear on her face as she folded her arms together. _Great, I can't even rely on Violet to come save me. __Is it too late to run?_ Elsa's concentration was broken by a loud * ding *, the first dates were beginning to walk over. _Oh God, __oh God,__ it's too late._ Before Elsa had the chance to stand her first date was sat across from her. A short old man, with a long grey mustache and toupee that didn't quite cover all of his baldness. _I guess I could always climb out of the window_.

"Not thinking of running my dear are we?" said the man, peering curiously at her.

Elsa laughed nervously "Uh, n-no" _Not yet_

"Good!" The old man bowed. "I am The Duke."

Elsa blinked. "I'm sorry, 'The Duke'?"

"Well, that's not my proper name. Have to keep a but of mysteriousness in these dates don't we my dear?" _The window__ definitely seems like the best option here. __H__ow did this guy even get into this age group?_

"They call me 'The Duke' at my wares shop around the corner from here." Explained The Duke.

"Oh! You're the owner of Weaseltown Wares then?"

"WESELTON * ahem * _Weselton_ my dear."

The rest of the first date seemed last forever. The Duke saw it appropriate to woo Elsa with his knowledge of accountancy and managing stock. Elsa tried her best to look as interested as possible but by the end she felt like she had a new view on the meaning of the phrase "soul numbing boredom". The bell eventually rang in mercy. Elsa hadn't been allowed to talk long enough to introduce herself or even mention her name for that matter. _If I can endure that, I'm pretty sure the rest can't be _that_ bad._

Elsa sat back in her chair massaging her temples, attempting to wake her brain from it's slumber of bordem. She didn't even notice her next date sit down. "Oh!" A voice said. Elsa's head shot up. A girl with a freckled cheeks and auburn hair sat before her. She wore a green long sleeved shirt rolled up to her elbows; opened at the front to reveal a black skin-tight shirt underneath. "I'm sorry I totally didn't hear the instructions right. I thought the girls had to move tables." The redhead blushed. "God, this is embarrassing"

Elsa chuckled lightly "Don't worry about it. That woman spoke so fast I was worried that she was going to faint from lack of oxygen."

The redhead giggled , extending her hand towards Elsa. "My name's Anna, Anna Christian."

Elsa shook her hand shyly, "Uhm, Elsa Helland, pleasant to meet you Anna Christian." Anna smiled, Elsa continued "I guess we should get to know each other for three minutes. I'm afraid that if either one of us stands the other might get tackled to the ground."

Anna laughed a sweet laugh, the noise was like music to Elsa's ears. "I know what you mean! When she said that rule I expected a her to point to some large security guard as a deterrent to those who dare to break her rules."

"Best keep your head down then. Think I just spotted a security guard behind you looking for rule breakers." Elsa gestured with her head.

Anna turned to look for the guard. Elsa giggled when the redheads cheeks turned pink. She turned back to Elsa with narrowed eyes "Guess you should keep your head down too. I heard he doesn't like late comers either." The redhead stuck her tongue out. Elsa returned the gesture. After a moment of silence both girl begin to laugh. "So, Miss Punctual." The girl teased in posh, well spoken voice "Do tell me of your profession."

"Well Miss Anarchy." Elsa responded in her own well spoken voice mocking tone "I am responsible for administrative duties at our finest city council." Anna raised her eyebrows. "I know right? Make sure to keep your feet on the ground. Many people have fainted when they hear of my hardcore days where I send emails to people and call up appointments."

Anna blew air through her nose and smiled. "Well, does it make you happy?"

Elsa hadn't expected such a question. She'd never really considered her job as anything other than that; a place where she carries out her duties and gets paid. "Uh, I-I'm not sure. I wouldn't say it's what I want to do forever."

Anna cocked her head "Well what would you want to do if you had the chance? What makes you happy?" Elsa felt the pressure from the question weigh on her, she folded her arms. "I-I'm sorry, that was a little forward of me."

"No, no it's fine." Elsa smiled. "Drawing. I like to draw." _Why did I tell her that? I don't even talk to Violet about my drawing, let alone a complete stranger_.

Anna's eyes went wide with excitement, "That's so cool! I've always wanted to draw! But I'm so clumsy most of the time, I swear my drawings look like someone attached two bricks to my hands and asked me to draw." Elsa raised a hand to hide a giggle. During that moment waiters passed behind Elsa with food for the buffet at the end. Both girls took in a large sniff of the aroma as a giant chocolate cake; nearly the size of the host, went by. "Chocolate" Both girls drooled at the same time. Elsa jumped in surprise when Anna's hand lunged forward to tie a little finger around her own "Jinx!"

Elsa blinked. She opened her mouth to talk. Anna waved a finger "Nuh-uh! Not until I say your name." Elsa jutted out a bottom lip in a pout. Anna couldn't help but feel her heart melt when she saw the pout accompanied with puppy dog eyes. The bell rang signaling the end of the three minutes. Both girls looked around in confusion. Elsa, true to the jinx, kept quiet as Anna spoke "I guess times up. You were much better than my first date, he had these ridiculous side burns!" Elsa shook her shoulders with a silent giggle. Anna stood and began to walk off but paused for a moment to look back at Elsa. "Nice to meet you... Elsa Helland."

Elsa sighed, released from the curse of the jinx. "The pleasure was all mine Miss Anna-rchy" She winked, Anna blushed before returning to her table.

The evening continued, bells rang, more dates sat down. Each only seemed really focused on themselves, showing off their success in their careers or flaunting their riches. The only other date that seemed to be some what genuine was the large Deutsch man that had asked a question earlier. Though he wasn't really Elsa's type, she sensed that the man was at the evening for a bit of fun. All Elsa could think of whilst each date passed by was of the young redhead. Her question echoed in Elsa's mind '_What makes you happy?'. _Elsa hadn't been asked a question such as that in many years. Yet a girl filled with personality and light had asked it within three minutes. Every so often Elsa would look over to the redhead at her table. No matter who sat down Anna managed to somehow talk with them; finding common ground. By the end, her dates always appeared to be smiling and laughing. _She's certainly charming_. Elsa's eyes went wide when she realized Anna had turned and caught her looking. The redhead sent her a smile before Elsa snapped her head away with a red glow in her cheeks.

The end of the speed dating eventually found it's course. Elsa stood to stretch leting out a relieved sigh. _I'm __s__o gonna go home, get in my pajamas, watch Netflix __and__ eat chocolate in bed_. She looked down to the piece of paper she had been handed at the start; each of her dates listed with no tick of interest next to them. A thought crossed her mind. _Should include Anna in the list? No, __no!__W__hy would she want my number? ...Why do I want her number? Still, I might just do it in case she wants to be friends or something_. Another voice whispered in the back of her mind _...Or something more?_ Elsa blushed and dismissed the thought with a a shake of her head.

* Ahem * Elsa sharply turned to find Nicole before her. "May I have your paper please, Miss?"

"Of course!" Elsa reached for her paper and scribbled Anna's name in the box for her second date. She passed the paper to the girl who thanked her before returning to stand in front of the group who had formed by the buffet. Elsa smiled as she eyed Anna staring intently at the large chocolate cake at the end.

"Now! I will sort the results of your papers and give each of you a note at the end. The note will contain any numbers from your matches. But fear not if there are no numbers on your note! Love is something that takes time my dears! There will be plenty more speed dating sessions." _Thank __G__od they're not mandatory_. Elsa thought. "Until then, help yourself to the buffet!"

At that last announcement everyone charged for the buffet. Elsa flew to the other end of the table to tackle the large mountain of chocolate cake whilst everyone was fighting over the main dishes. Elsa didn't realize the person next to her until they had collided when reaching for the plates. Both girls bumped into each other with an 'oof'. Elsa shook her head slightly to refocus only to notice Anna on the floor. "Oh my!" Elsa gasped "Anna, I'm so sorry, I didn't see you." Elsa extended a hand to pull the younger girl up from the floor.

Anna stood she dusting herself off, laughing "Don't worry about it, it was totally my fault! My vision was only filled with that mountain of joy".

Elsa laughed. "I hereby sacrifice my first pick of a piece to you as compensation." Elsa bowed slightly. Anna offered a polite refusal but Elsa insisted.

As Elsa waited patiently for the redhead to cut a slice of cake she found a plate thrusted into her hands. Elsa looked up to see Anna with a plate of cake for each of them. "Here!" she smiled. "I cannot cut in front of a fellow chocolate lover." Both girls gave shy glances at each other whilst enjoying bites of cake. Small smiles at their lips.

By the time they finished their first piece Anna had chocolate smudges either side of her lips. Elsa laughed as a look of confusion crossed Anna's face; cocking her head slightly. "You um have some chocolate around your lips." Anna's hand shot up to rub furiously at the chocolate marks. Elsa could only smile as she watched the adorable redhead adopt a pink flush in her cheeks.

Anna groaned "Ugh, you'd think after 21 years I'd get the hang of eating by now".

Nicole cleared her throat, "If you would all please return to the front." Both girls turned to join the group, walking side by side with a second piece of chocolate cake in hand. "The results were very fast this evening. Tonight is a slightly smaller group than we're used to, so there wasn't too much to go through." The girl held the thirty two notes in her hand, waving them enthusiastically. "Now, to avoid awkwardness, I'll hand these out one at a time. I'll call your name, then after a bit of time I'll call the next one and so forth until everyone has received a note."

"Okay, first! Anna Christian" Elsa glanced to Anna who meekly waved at her before walking to the front. Elsa noted the looks from the guys as she approached the front. _I guess she made a good impression with everyone_. Anna looked at her note and went bright red. _And I guess she got the number she wanted. Good for her!_ Anna practically sprinted from the room, much to everyones amusement. Elsa sat back down, enjoying the cake whilst she waited for her empty note. Her name was eventually called after a few minutes. She took the note and left almost immediately. _There's no need to check anyway_. Though as she walked down the corridor to head back outside, curiosity spread through her mind. She slowly opened the note. There was one piece of text on the note. Elsa's heart skipped a beat as she read 'Anna Christian' followed by her number.

_Oh my God, I have her number... I have her number?!_

* * *

**Seven Dates, check my profile or follow me on Tumbr (umbra-sedent-mortis) for news on updates. Thank you for reading!**


	2. Chapter 2

Seven Dates – Chapter 2:

Elsa awoke to the sound of her home phone ringing in the next room. _Ugh, why don't phones play soothing sounds before 10 am?_ She rolled over to look at the clock on her bedroom wall. Elsa realized that her suggestion in phone design would be redundant as it was already 11 am. She heard the phone eventually click over to the answer machine. "Hey this is Elsa, leave a message"

Violet had been the caller "Hey doofus, pick up the phone! Just because you have a few weeks off doesn't mean you can sleep in everyday!" Elsa groaned, her bed was close to ground so that she could easily roll out of bed. The only problem with that is that you eventually had to stand up at some point. Plus her bed always felt too comfortable to justify any amount of leaving. Still, there was a day to be had. Elsa flung her legs out, reached for her mobile on the floor and stood. She stretched, letting out a loud yawn whilst flipping to Violets number in her phone.

Violet picked up after a few rings. "Let me guess, you've just woken up?"

"No, just got back from the speed dating last night. We all went out for blazing night on the town after I met the man of my dreams" Elsa made sure to lace her words with as much sarcasm as half awake person could.

"Alright, alright, watch the lip. I'm sorry okay?" Elsa rolled her eyes. "Seriously though, did you have a good time? You didn't climb out the window, did you?"

Elsa paused to align her thoughts, her memory jogged almost instantly when she saw the note with Anna's number attached to her fridge. "Uhm, uh"

"Oh god, you actually climbed out the window didn't you?"

"No!" Snapped Elsa "I actually uh-"

"_Oh my god!_ You met someone!" Violet sounded overjoyed.

"Hey! It's not _that_ surprising that I met someone."

"Sorry, Icey, it's just you've been out of the game for so long. Anyway, tell me all about this wonderful man that has stolen my Elsa's frozen heart."

Elsa felt herself shift uncomfortably as she began to pace up and down her apartment. "Uh, it's a bit strange at the moment. I wouldn't say that we're exactly anything really. We kind of just talked a bit, ate some cake, had a few laughs. I'd say we exchanged numbers out of curiosity, maybe just friendship. I'm not sure."

"_Please_" Violet said, dismissing Elsa's explanation. "If I know you at all Elsa Helland I know that you don't give your number out to any guy who asks. They must have said something to charm you and that blonde braid of yours. Plus you totally avoided a description, I need details woman!"

Elsa bit her lip at the thought of the young redhead that passed through her mind. "I -uh I don't know how to describe he- …him. He has auburn hair with these cute freckles dotting his cheeks." Elsa paused as she began to picture Anna smiling at her in her head. She let her mouth begin to run away describing "...She had this petite little nose with these wonderfully turquoise eyes. I saw her speak to almost anyone she came into contact with, she could always make them laugh. She seemed only interested in who I was, which was more than what could be said for every other guy at that event."

There was silence on the other end for a moment. "...she?"

Elsa's eyes went wide with shock _You fool! You had one job, one job! And that was to switch the gender description around!_ Elsa began to stutter, running a hand through her hair "I-I uhm I uh mean him!" _Smooth_._ "_You know what I'm like when I've just woken up. I can barely string a sentence together, never mind describe an evening where _you_ abandoned me" Elsa let out a nervous laugh.

"Uh-huh. Well have you called _him_ yet?" Violet inquired suspiciously.

"No, not yet. I thought it'd be a bit weird to call them straight away. I'm not actually sure when you're supposed call them." Elsa sighed "I thought getting the number was supposed to be the hard part?"

"Well you should let him ring first. The girl _always_ waits for the guy to come to her. But if this is a girl I can't really help you out here." Violet teased.

"Very funny." Elsa replied in a monotonous voice. Elsa glanced back over to the number on her fridge. "Look, I've gotta shoot off. I have some errands to run. But you want to meet up tonight for a proper catch-up?"

"Sure thing Icey, but I expect a proper rundown on last evening okay? I'll meet you at the Chinese."

Elsa bid her friend farewell before padding over to her fridge. She opened it to retrieve a carton of orange juice, but paused to fix her eyes on the number on the door. _Screw it, I wouldn't wait no matter what gender the person __was__._ As she keyed in the number to her phone she felt her heart rate begin to race. The number awaited completed; all Elsa needed to do was press 'call'. _What if it was a mistake? What if they gave me the number by accident? I'll probably freak her out by calling her, I bet she isn't even expecting me to ever call her_. _Ugh, __s__crew _it! Elsa hit 'call' and pressed the phone to her ear, scrunching her eyes up as if it would somehow protect her from the phone call. The phone picked up almost immediately.

"AHHH!" The voice on the end of the cried. Elsa took the phone away from her ear to avoid being deafened.

"H-Hello?" Elsa asked worried that she had just listened to some kind of gruesome murder on the end of the phone.

"H-Hi, uhm sorry about that. I was about that I was about to call someone and my phone started ringing in my hand, so I kind of jumped and threw my phone by accident." Elsa laughed, she didn't have to ask if she was speak to the right person. "Who is speaking?"

"Oh! Sorry, it's Elsa. Elsa Helland from last night."

"O-oh. Oh! Elsa! Hi! S-Sorry it was totally you I was about to call." Elsa noted Anna's tone grow shy. "Hope I didn't burst your eardrum." Anna laughed nervously.

"I was just worried that I'd called someone who'd just been brutally murdered." _...Why would I say that? What competent, sane thinking human being mentions murder to someone you__'ve__ just met?_ Elsa's fear was quashed by the chuckle on the other end.

"Nope! Still alive and kicking! I'd be totally ready for someone to sneak up on me. Like _watcha!_" Anna kicked out a leg to strike her imaginary attacker, then began to consider her own sanity.

Elsa laughed "Well I know to stay on the right side of you then! Guess you just have to watch out for some super scary phones though, right?"

Anna blushed on the end of the phone before muttering a 'Shush' to which was met by further bouts of laughter. Anna tensed her body, finding the courage to ask her question. "Hey, uhm, you want to go get some coffee in the city center?"'

Now it was Elsa's turn to turn shy "S-Sure, is there any coffee shop in particular you want to go to?"

"I hear there is this new place called 'The Reindeer Lodge. Sound pretty fun compared to another drink from Starbucks!"

"You're certainly right about that! I'll meet you there for say around half 12?"

"M-hmm, hope you stick to your own times better than other peoples!" Anna quipped

"Well be sure not turn up in a Hells Angels jacket on a harley motorcycle, okay? I've never been arrested before and I don't want to be lead down a dark path by the queen of Anna-rchy"

Both girls laughed before exchanging goodbyes. Elsa was only just beginning to realize that her heart had been beating frantically for the entirety of the conversation. She took a deep breath, considering her date with the young redhead. _Wait, not date. There were no mentions of dates there. This is just coffee. Friends grab coffee all the time, right?_ Elsa didn't wish to think on the specifics any longer. After all, she had to be ready and there within the hour.

* * *

After a quick search on Google maps Elsa had found that the coffee shop wasn't too far from her apartment; yet some how Elsa arrived at the coffee shop with only five minutes to spare. She had chosen a pair of white skinny jeans along with a long sleeved light blue top that faded to white at the sleeves. Over the top she was wearing a dark blue jumper and a black coat with a fluffy hood pulled back. Elsa had specifically chosen her outfit to radiate the message 'Hey, this is totally a casual meeting between friends'. She let out a sigh of relief when she realized that Anna hadn't yet arrived. The shop seemed somewhat quiet, the overabundance of reindeer themed memorabilia revealed why it had been called the 'The reindeer lodge'. _At least this should give me time to recover_. Elsa heart hadn't stopped thumping the moment her conversation with Anna had begun. By the time she arrived at the coffee shop she felt as though she was practically hyperventilating. _You've got this Elsa! She walks in, you smile, politely greet her. You both grab coffee, talk about each other and_ \- - Elsa's vision went dark as she felt hands gently clasp around her eyes, she raised her hands to grab them. "Guess who?" the voice said.

Elsa could tell from the faint smell of chocolate that her assailant had been Anna, but she decided to play along. Elsa felt the girls thin fingers "I'm pretty sure I feel five large rings around these fingers, one feeling in the shape of a skull." She moved her hands up up to grab the girls arm "And I'm feeling a leather jacket. And what's that I hear in the background? Is that the rumble of a harely motorcycle? Could this be the Queen of Anarchy?" Anna's laugh filled Elsa's ears and she grinned. Anna spun Elsa around to face her.

"What would you have done if it was someone else?"

Elsa considered the hypothetical situation "I think I'd probably just have ran. No one can acknowledge my foolishness if I'm not there to hear them!" Anna giggled, Turquoise eyes alive with happiness. Elsa couldn't help but feel her heart flutter. "Shall we grab some coffee then?"

"Maybe not coffee for me, trust me. I'm like Goku going super saiyan when I have coffee."

Elsa raised an eyebrow in Anna's direction, "Whoops! Ignore the nerdy comment, please."

Elsa chuckled "No, it's fine! That's the one where that 'over 9000' meme comes from, right?"

Anna's eyes lit up "Yeah! Though, I never really got why people liked that meme so much."

Anna ordered a hot chocolate with whipped cream topped with chocolate shavings. Elsa stuck to her regular coffee with two sugars. The two girls found a seat underneath a large portrait of a reindeer; the title plac underneath read 'Sven'. Anna didn't hesitate to dive into her hot chocolate, slurping the whipped cream immediately as Elsa watched on in amusement. When Anna realized after many slurps that Elsa was watching she blushed. "Sorry, I get a little carried away when it comes to sweet stuff, especially chocolate and whipped cream."

"I'm just happy to see someone who enjoys chocolate as much as me." Elsa laughed. "So, yesterday" The redhead froze at the mention of yesterdays date, eyes shy and downward cast "I realized that in my selfishness we only really talked about myself. Tell me, oh devourer of all things chocolate, what do _you_ do for a living?"

Anna raised her eyebrows in surprise "Oh! Well, uhm, I kind of take things a day at a time really! I volunteer at the charity shop once a week. Then I kind of do whatever, you know? Maybe head to galleries. Visit a local gig. I don't really plan much stuff out!"

Elsa was curious, she had only been 21 two years back and she was no where near as laid back or spontaneous as the redhead. "Well it sounds like you lead a much more adventurous life than I do! But, do you parents not pressure you or anything?"

Anna looked away, her voice gone quiet. "I uh, I lost my parents around three years ago."

Elsa's eyes went wide, _You idiot!_ "Oh my, I'm so sorry!" Elsa shifted in her seat, uncomfortable with her brutish approach to her questioning.

Anna saw the look of worry in her eyes and grabbed one of Elsa's hands. "Hey! It's not your fault, you didn't know!" Elsa felt relief wash over her as she let Anna calm her with kind eyes. The two smiled at each other. "It's in the past, and we look forward, right? Otherwise we'd get lost."

Elsa felt her heartbeat slow to it's calm pace, Anna gave her hand a small squeeze before unlacing their fingers. An idea popped into Elsa's head. "Tell you what? Let's go explore!"

Anna's face lit up at the prospect. "Sounds fun! But, where exactly?"

"That's a surprise" Elsa winked "I have a feeling you'll like it though"

The two girls stood and made their way out into the main street. Arendelle was very much embracing the Valentines theme. Love hearts with pictures of cupid in shop windows advertising gifts. Florists advertising rose delivery. "Man, when did shops decide to take Valentines as an opportunity to maul shoppers for their money?" Quizzed Anna.

Elsa grinned "Tell me about it, seems that way with every holiday now. I'm pretty sure I saw easter eggs as soon as new years was over. Then again, Arendelle always likes to embrace Valentines. You not get into the city often?"

"No, not really. I spend a lot of time on the outskirts. More towards the mountains ya' know?"

"Well allow me to be your esteemed tour guide for Arendelle at Valentines." Elsa linked her arm through Anna's, Anna giggling whilst being lead by the blonde to their first location. Anna's heart stopped when they arrived, the sign above the shop read 'Mr Gusteau's Choclateire'. Now Anna was practically dragging Elsa inside the chocolate shop. Anna burst through the door staring in awe at the sight. The shop was narrow, extending far back. All along the left shelves were boxes upon boxes of chocolate, each of a different variety. Orange, dark, even chilli. In the right corner were slabs of plain chocolate averaging in size and bottles made completely out of chocolate. A notice next to the shelf said 'Bring the products to the till to have custom icing message written'. The checkout in question was also on the right of the shop; it extended far down. The tills rested on a glass cabinet with plenty more sweets on display. Either side of the checkout had a large chocolate fountain with marshmallows and sticks to mount them, 'Dip to your hearts content!' read the sign.

"This place. Is amazing." Anna said with her mouth hanging open.

"Thought this would be up you street" Chuckled Elsa. The two girls browsed over the hundreds of boxes on the left shelf, Elsa opting to buy a large variety box for the two of them. Whilst Elsa paid she eyed Anna grabbing four marshmallows on sticks. Anna was already enjoying one; approving with a '_Mmmmm_' when the chocolate had hit her tongue.

"Elsa, you _have_ to come try one!"

"Hang on, hang on! I'm still paying for our first round of chocolate." The cashier, a large man with Chef's hat and apron, gave the two girls a smile with a look of admiration. Elsa put the box of chocolates in her bag before making her way over to Anna's side.

"Quickly! They drip like no tomorrow" Anna was showering the four marshmallows under the fountain. Elsa grabbed a few napkins nearby and offered them for Anna to put them on. Elsa carefully picked up one of the sticks with a chocolate smothered marshmallow on the end. She waited between drips then quickly fired the chocolate delight into her mouth. Elsa couldn't hold back her own expression of '_Mmmmm_' once she began to chew the treat.

The chef walked over to the two girls with a tray of marshmallows precoated with chocolate that had been dipped into sprinkles then allowed to dry. "Have some of these!" The plump man spoke with a French hint to his voice. "I know two appreciators of the food of Gods when I see them." The edible gifts tasted amazing, the kind man even gave Elsa and Anna a bag each filled with some to take away. He waved with a 'Happy Valentines!' as they left.

The two girls returned outside, Anna practically bouncing, eager to continue their adventure, but hesitated when she checked her phone. Elsa noted the look of concern on her face. "Is everything alright?" Anna looked up at Elsa trying to disguise her look of worry.

Anna sighed, "Look, I'm really sorry but I've got to head off." Elsa felt her heart sink, her tour had only just begun. Elsa's look of sadness didn't go unnoticed, Anna popped a quick kiss on Elsa's cheek. "Listen, I had a tonne of fun today! More fun than I've had in a while." She drifted off. "I should be free all tomorrow. You want to pop over sometime and we can get to work on the box of joy in your bag?"

The feel of Anna's lips had been enough to daze the blonde. She had to take a moment to regain her thoughts. "T-That sounds like a good plan! H-How does six o'clock do for you?"

Anna smiled "Six is good for me!" A brief moment passed where both girls were unsure about how to end their meeting. _Do I hug I her? Is that weird?_ They thought. Anna made the first move to wrap her arms around the blondes body. Elsa took the action to initiate her own hug. Both girls sighed enjoying the others warmth for the brief moment.

Elsa became conscious of the long period they had been hugging, pulling away worried that she had been forcing the redhead to endure her hug. She ran a hand through her hair with a nervous laugh, "Sorry, I don't hug often. I held on for wayyyy too long."

Anna shook her head side to side, silent with a deep red coating her cheeks. "I really did enjoy today. Thanks for meeting up with me." Anna said quietly.

"No problem, it was fun for me too! I would have just spent the day moping about otherwise. It was much better to spend it with you." Elsa stopped to blush at her confession.

Anna smiled before placing another kiss on the blondes cheek "See you tomorrow"

Elsa watched the girl walk off around the corner. Breathing deeply in and out in order to calm herself. _I have no idea what the hell I'm doing. What does this all even mean? Ugh, I need to tell Violet before I do something dumb_.

Elsa pulled out her phone to call her best friend "Parr. We need to meet up sooner, I have a lot to discuss. I just rang and met up with her"

Violet listened unsurprised "Don't you mean _him_?" She teased

"Cut the crap, I know you saw through that straight away. I'm serious."

"_Yeesh_, fine. I'll come pick you up from your flat in half an hour, okay?"

* * *

**Seven Dates, more dates; chocolate and Elsanna coming your way. Follow my profile or Tumblr (umbra-sedent-mortis) for news and updates. Thanks for reading!**


	3. Chapter 3

Seven Dates – Chapter 3:

* * *

Violet approached in her car spying the blonde in the distance. Elsa looked more flustered than her usual calm collected self. Violet pulled up along side her winding the window down. "Come on Icey, let's go defrost that brain of yours." Elsa hopped in the passenger seat, uncertainty clear in her features. "Now, I'm not gonna ask that you spill right here, you're clearly a bit all over the place. I'll stick on some music, give you some time to gather your thoughts and we'll talk once we've sat down."

Elsa nodded in response, thankful for her friends respect of the situation. Though the journey had been horribly awkward with the silence, Elsa needed the time. They eventually pulled up at Violets apartment, the two made their way inside. Violet pulled a bottle of Rose wine from the stand with two large glasses. She made sure to give Elsa an extra dash of wine in her glass. Elsa had seated herself on the edge of the couch, Violet passed her the glass. "Sit back, this isn't the Spanish Inquisition." She took the glass, taking a sip before crossing her legs and pushing herself further back onto the couch. "Alright Icey, lets start from the top. Who is this girl?"

Elsa flicked her eyes toward Violet briefly, hesitating. "Her name is Anna, Anna Christian." Violet was annoyed by the short response but allowed Elsa a moment to continue. "We met by accident at the speed dating. She got the rules messed up and sat at my table after the first date. We got talking, she made me laugh, I made her laugh, we joked around a bit. She just came across as a really genuine person. She asked 'What makes you happy?'" Violet nodded, Elsa had usually been the one caring about others. _I__t must have been strange for someone to ask about her for a change._

"Go on." Violet pushed.

Elsa explained about their run in with chocolate cake. How they had both marked down each other to get their numbers. What they did today. And how they're going to meet up tomorrow. Violet made sure not to interrupt at any point. Only asking questions when Elsa was holding back on descriptions. "So, what does it mean Vi? Is she just a really cheery person who wants to be friends? Or am I being insane when I think that she might what something more?"

Violet paused, taking a sip of her wine. "What do you want from her first, Elsa?"

Elsa looked away, voice quiet. "I don't even know... this is all new ground for me. I feel like I'm just making it up as it goes along." Elsa raised her gaze. "I like seeing her happy, making her laugh, but that could be said for all my friends. But this feels _different_ you know?" Elsa groaned "Ugh, when did I get all mushy and emotional?"

Violet laughed "Elsa, I'll be honest, I'm about as clueless as you here. But, by the sounds of all the blushing, laughing and pecks on the cheek. It seems like you like this girl. That, and when other people have made you laugh or blush you haven't called me up in a panic straight after." Violet placed a hand on top of Elsa's. "Look, things are early at this point. You've known this girl a day at this point, there's still a lot you don't know about her. You can't expect to meet this person a couple of times then try to jump so far ahead."

"I know, I know. I'm just really confused at the moment." Violet watched Elsa begin to drift off from the conversation, thoughts clearly elsewhere. Her voice was present but her eyes were staring into space. "How do I approach tomorrow? Do I go in expecting a causal evening? Do I bring her anything? Do I-"

"Icey! Cut it out! You're just going to go round in circles. The only way that you're going to find out anything from this is actually meeting up with her. You can't expect to plan and know everything in advance. Now." Violet stood picking up her landline phone. "We have the fine wine. We have a Netflix machine- I mean a TV. Let's get the chinese, and then we have all the ingredients to power through a night of mushy emotional crap." Violet looked over her shoulder to wink at Elsa.

Elsa smiled, but shifted uncomfortably at the thought of having to confront feelings all night. _No amount of chinese __or__ wine can really solve the problem. But it can't harm_. Elsa watched her friend browse over the menu whilst on the phone, considering the random combination of meals she would get for the both of them. Violet wasn't usually one for sitting in all night, talking 'girly' conversation about love or romance. She was then thankful that her friend knew her well enough to tell when she needed a night in to talk to someone.

"Hey, Elsa? You want to get an extra bit? We get free fortune cookies and prawn crackers if you grab one more dish."

"You didn't say anything about immobilizing me tonight with large amounts of food. I've got a figure to maintain." Elsa intoned sarcastically.

"_Please_, I've caught you on your Netflix with chocolate in bed evenings before, remember?" Elsa ran a hand through her hair, blushing at the memory when she had answered the door to Violet dressed in her pyjamas with a box of chocolates in her hand. "Plus, the cookie might have more of an idea of how to approach your dilemma"

Elsa took a large gulp of wine. _You might not be wrong there, V__i_.

* * *

Elsa paced up and down her apartment nervously. She had typed in the redheads number five minutes ago but couldn't find the courage to call her. _You did this before, just press the damn button_. Elsa initiated her ritual of scrunching her eyes shut as she hit the button. Anna had picked up almost instantly. "H-Hello?"

Elsa was still too busy concentrating on scrunching her eyes that she had be caught off guard by the immediate response. "Oh, um-. Hey! It's Elsa!"

"Hi! You doing okay?" Anna began to pace up and down her own apartment, stepping over the laundry scattered across her floor.

"I'm fine, thank you! Listen, this is a bit embarrassing, but I didn't actually ask what your address was." Elsa had felt foolish when she had began to plan what she could with Violet about the approaching evening; only to fall over the first hurdle of 'How do I get there?' She decided to call the redhead the moment she had got back.

Anna put a hand to her forehead at her own stupidity by not telling the blonde. "Ugh, sorry that was really dumb of me, huh?" Anna laughed nervously.

"No, no! It was my fault, I guess I was a bit distracted." _Wait, what? You fool! You worded that so badly._ "N-Not that I wasn't paying attention to you. I mean, I was but the peck on the cheek kinda threw- uh, I mean, uh" _What are you even saying anymore?! WHY ARE YOU TRYING TO EMBARRESS YOURSELF?! _Elsa only stuttered out more syllables, non equating to anything intelligible.

Anna was grinning, biting her lip softly as she pictured the blonde cutely attempting to explain herself. "It's okay!" Anna chuckled "You got a pen handy?"

Elsa darted her eyes around, diving for the closest pen and scrap of paper. "Sure, go ahead!" She scribbled down Anna's postcode and address. _At least I can still write. I might just have to ta__ke__ a chalkboard tomorrow to talk to her properly_. "Thanks, I-uh-I should be there for around six tomorrow." Elsa resumed her pacing of the apartment.

"Yeah, should be a bunch of fun! Not sure if I can accept entrance to my accommodation without those chocolates though."

"Will a chocolate fountain get me an extended visit?"

Anna drooled at the thought of owning a chocolate fountain. "I'm pretty sure I'd be too busy drowning myself in liquid chocolate to ever answer the door again"

Elsa laughed "Well, I'll make sure just to bring the box then. I'm going to head off, but I'll see you tomorrow!"

Anna exchanged a goodbye, voice gone shy at the though of the blondes arrival the next evening. She cast her eyes over the apartment. She eyed the laundry scattered across furniture and floor a like. The dishes needing washing up in the sink. The random bits of paper distributed across her living space. "Crap." Anna was only beginning to realize how much of a slob she had been lately. She pictured the blonde stepping through her door before turning to run at the sight of the apartment. _Ugh, stupid cleaning. When will the self cleaning house be invented?_ Anna despised cleaning, by the time she would finish she knew she would have to do it all over again the following day. But, for the chance of an evening with Elsa? She was more than ready to do a bit of cleaning. _I guess a clean apartment can only do so much though_.

* * *

The taxi pulled up outside of the house containing a girl that had been throwing Elsa for a loop. The terraced street was relatively old fashioned. Grey buildings with intricate stone work, but the modern glazing of windows betrayed their older look. Each building had a series of steps leading up to the front door. Elsa stepped outside the taxi, thanking the driver when she received her change. Her eyes locked on the redheads front door. Elsa had chosen a long sleeved tight jersey; black along the sleeves and upper half; blue on the lower half. She had decided upon black skinny jeans with pumps. The fluffy coat was most likely the best choice with the bite of the colder air. She knew that this wasn't simply 'casual coffee', but she didn't want to turn up in fine dining clothes. Elsa slowly walked up the steps, extending her hand after the first step as though to prepare herself to knock. When she had reached the door her hand froze just before it. _Knock. Just knock_. Elsa breathed in sharply tapping three times quickly upon the door. She felt her body lock up at her action.

Behind the door a * crash * sounded followed by "Ouch! Ow, ow, ow!" The door opened with Anna clutching her foot in her hand, trying to smile through the pained expression on her face. "Uh, hey! Sorry, my leg decided to go rogue and threw itself into the table when I slipped."

"Well this might sooth the pain." Elsa laughed, holding the box of chocolates in front of her triumphantly.

Anna's eyes went wide at the size of the box. "Man, I forgot how big a box we got, huh. Come in! I mean -uh- I guess I can accept your entry payment."

"Oh? I guess I can keep the chocolate fountain I brought for myself then." Anna dove forward, grabbing Elsa's shoulder to steady herself on her tip toes to look down the steps. Anna turned red at her gullible moment.

Elsa had been giggling quietly, with a hand over her mouth in an attempt to disguise her amusement. Anna glared at Elsa before sticking her tongue out at the blonde. "Maybe next time." Elsa winked, cringing silently at her outburst of confidence; she hadn't even gotten through the door and she had declared a second date. Anna smiled shyly before both girls realized how close they had been standing. Anna took a step back scratching nervously at the back of her head. "Come in! I'll show you around my my inhabitants." She gestured with a hand.

Elsa stepped through the front door, spotting a door on her left leading to a closet. Elsa spied what looked to be a stuffed plush of a snowman hanging out from the closet along with other bits that the redhead had 'tidied away'. Anna followed her gaze, then dove to shut the door whilst blushing, laughing nervously "Whoops!"

Elsa giggled "Don't worry, I've pulled the hide everything in the closet trick many a time."

Anna realized that her poor housekeeping hadn't been the worst skill yet "Sorry! Let me take your jacket."

Elsa had forgotten she even had a jacket on, looking at her body. "Oh, um, thank you! You're too kind."

Anna hung up the jacket with the reality of the situation beginning to set in. She had a beautiful girl in her company. She had no idea how to even tidy up, never mind how to entertain her guest. _Quick, you plan for a reason_. Anna had prepared to some extent. She linked her arm around Elsa's before beginning to pull her along giddily "This way! I've got something to show you!"

Elsa smiled as the excited redhead had pulled her around the corner. The redhead lead her past her open plan kitchen to reveal her main living space, they eventually stopped in front of a wall with a large picture on it. Anna's eyes flicked between Elsa and the picture, bouncing with excitement as she watched Elsa's eyes grow wide. "Oh wow..."

The redhead had acquired a painting of Arendelle's castle as it had been centuries ago. A quiet fairytale castle sitting on an island with one bridge for access and a small dock on the side. The sky had been clear blue with calm waters surrounding the castle. The painting spoke nothing other than serenity. It was clear whoever had done the painting had spent a large amount time on it. "...This is such a well done painting." Elsa gaped.

"I know, right! I was clearing through some older stuff in my closet when I was -uh, 'tidying up', and spotted it at the back. I remember you said you liked drawing, so I figured I'd hang it up for you! My father had it passed down to him, guess I forgot about it when I got his stuff..." Anna's voice drifted off.

Elsa noticed the look of sadness upon the redheads face at her thought of her father. Sadness she didn't deserve after such a thoughtful gesture. Elsa took her arm out from around the redheads to intertwine their fingers. Anna's head had shot up when she felt the blonde lace their fingers together. Elsa had turned to face her, eyes bore deep into her own. "What was it you said the other day? We look forward or we would get lost."

Anna smiled nodding shyly "Yeah..." Anna's eyes flicked toward Elsa's lips as her heart began to race. Elsa wet her lips, staring back at Anna's own lips. Both girls eyes then locked. _She's so gorgeous_. Thought Anna, Elsa following a similar train of thought. _I don't think I..._ "I -uh I should g-go check on the food"

Elsa's thoughts came back to her. "Uh- yeah! Sure!" She ran a hand through her hair. "-Uh Do you mind if I use your bathroom?" Anna politely pointed Elsa toward the bathroom as she hurried to kitchen, avoiding direct eye contact with Elsa. Elsa shut the door behind her going straight to the mirror. _Okay, calm down Elsa. She's pretty, she's funny, she has great taste in art. These are__n't__ reasons to nearly go and kiss her! Remember what Vi said. You don't know her, use the evening to do that_. Elsa splashed water on her face to give herself focus, drying with the nearby towel. _Just for God's sake don't stare at her lips._ The urge to press forward into Anna's lips had been near uncontrollable. Elsa didn't want to take the risk of ruining the evening before it had begun.

Elsa returned back into the living space to find the table had been set in her absence. She spotted Anna in her kitchen busying over the food, still not making eye contact. "Take a seat! I'll bring the food over in a second."

"Would you like a hand?"

"No-no! You're my guest!"Anna came out of the kitchen smiling softly with two plates of what looked to be a chicken breast with some kind of coating, fried rice and sweetcorn scattered around the chicken. The aroma reached Elsa's nose and she took a large sniff of the mouth watering food.

"I didn't realize you were into cooking!"

"Well don't hold your breath yet, you still need to try it!" Anna quipped.

As Anna entered the living space her feet went out from underneath her, not expecting the transition from tiled floor to laminate. The plates remained in her hands. The food, sadly, ended up over her freshly cleaned apartment.

Elsa shot up from her chair, running to her side before crouching. "Are you okay?!"

Anna rubbed at her behind which had taken the brunt of the fall. "I guess you dodged a bullet there, now you don't have to try it!" Elsa laughed as she helped the redhead up. Anna sighed. "I've ruined everything, haven't I?"

Elsa shook her head side to side, taking the plates from Anna's hands before placing them down on the table. She looped her arm around Anna's before leading her to sit on the couch by the TV. She grabbed her box of chocolates. "You haven't ruined a thing. Chocolate for dinner is my kind of meal anyway." Elsa winked at Anna as she laced their fingers together once again. Anna blushed before she cast her eyes downward. Elsa felt worry begin to rattle throughout her. _Too forward Elsa! TOO FORWARD!_

"Elsa..." Elsa's heart was pounding. "Why did you agree to go on another date with me? I mean, look at you, then look at the wonder clutz that can't even carry plates to a table."

Elsa squeezed her hand gently. "Hey" Elsa lowered her head to meet Anna's downwards gaze. "Don't put yourself down so much. You're the most genuine person I have met, and you managed to show that in three minutes. I'll taste your cooking one day. If the smell had my stomach groaning like a wounded soldier; I can imagine that the taste was just as good." Anna giggled "...And you're pretty good looking." Anna blushed, her eyes rising, glancing shyly at Elsa.

Elsa let her eyes fall shut as she felt herself push forward to place her lips quickly upon Anna's own. Anna's lips had been soft and sweet in the quick contact. Elsa turned her own gaze downward when she came back from the brief kiss, terrified of the rejection that would surely follow. She felt herself turn beet red, her heart reached near cardiac arrest. Anna's own heart had stopped the moment she felt Elsa's soft cool lips on her own. She leaned her head forward stopping just in front of Elsa's. Elsa's body shivered as Anna's breath ghosted over her, the smell of chocolate on her breath. Elsa raised her head to stare into the redheads crystalline turquoise eyes. Anna tilted her head to the side, pressing her lips against Elsa's for the second time. The kiss lasted only a few seconds but the sands of time had slowed to the point of a grain taking minutes to fall. Elsa felt the sweet warm lips on her own with not a thought in mind. The motion came naturally each moment their lips came together. Both girls eyes were shut whilst they savored the kiss that lasted a century.

Anna slowly pulled back with her heart thumping in her chest. The kiss hadn't been anything like she expected. Her lips tingled madly, she could still taste Elsa when she had licked her lips briefly. She opened her eyes steadily to examine Elsa. Elsa had been in shock, still unable to process what had happened. The only thought that drifted through her mind as her own lips tingled was _Well I don't _think _I ruined the evening yet_.

Elsa finally opened her eyes to see Anna with a worried look upon her face. She took a deep breath to control her breathing, smiling at the girl."Shall we start on those chocolates then?"

* * *

**Seven Dates, romance is lingering in the air for our sweet protagonists. But how much can happen in four more dates? Who knows? Follow my profile and Tumblr (umbra-sedent-mortis) for updates. Thank you for reading!**


	4. Chapter 4

Seven Dates : Chapter 4

* * *

Anna stood in the hallway entrance having just walked up two flights of stairs. _Apartment 23, it's not difficult Anna. One foot in front of the other, come on now._ She took a deep breath in, her feet began to move, though she felt as though her legs weren't prepared for the venture. Each step would lead to her legs wobbling, like Bambi attempting to walk for the first time. _Pull yourself together, Christian! You were practically running around last night, now you can't figure out how to take like 20 steps_? Fond memories of the previous evening filled her head. Thoughts of Elsa brought a hot flush to her cheeks. Memories of cool soft lips gliding upon her own. _Easy fiestypants, we're trying to stable ou__r__ legs, remember_?

* * *

The previous night had seemed to last an eternity, Anna was fine with that. Once she and Elsa had spent some amount of time eating chocolates in front of the TV, Elsa had opted to help re-clean her apartment; which had a fresh topping of chicken and rice to each of the furnishings. Anna had refused of course.

"Come on now. If I don't help you, I'd only find the remainder of two meals in the closet at some point." Elsa teased.

"I heard rats are into fine food these days." Anna quipped, sticking her tongue out. Elsa smiled that sweet smile that melted Anna's heart each time.

After a few minutes of cleaning they both realized that while chocolates for dinner may be delicious, it wasn't exactly filling. Anna suggested that they order pizza, no objection came from Elsa's side. The two had sat cross legged on Anna's couch eating the 18'' tandoori chicken pizza, finding more about each other.

"So, you studied at University?" Elsa asked.

"Yeah, only for a few years. I pulled out after I decided that the subject wasn't what I wanted to do. That and..." Anna's thoughts had began to drift back to the phone call from the police, painful memories she didn't want now more than ever. Her attention was brought back by Elsa intertwining their fingers again.

Elsa realized that whenever the subject of the recent few years came up Anna would grow quiet, sadness filling her eyes. It pained her so each time to watch. She knew that something had happened other than her parents passing, but she didn't want to pry. "Hey, you don't have to tell me." Elsa sent the redhead a soft smile.

Anna felt her own heart warm. Elsa had been so understanding, telling Anna all about her own life and not taking offense when Anna revealed few details. Anna couldn't find the strength to mention anything from her own recent life, she felt horribly guilty. "I'm sorry Elsa. You tell me so much and I-"

Elsa placed a quick kiss upon Anna's lips to stop the redhead before she rambled in self-hatred. "Things take time to heal, it's ok. You can tell me when you're ready. It doesn't have to be today or tomorrow or ever, if you don't feel comfortable."

Anna's eyes searched over the blondes brilliant blue ones. Looking for any trace of anger or frustration. She found none. Anna began to wonder who this girl was, and why she had been so lucky to find her.

Elsa smiled before picking up a large slice of pizza in hand. She bit into it and began to pull the piece away. Unfortunately the cheese covering the pizza had no such plans. A large slab of cheese came off the top of the pizza; flopping down onto Elsa's chin. Luckily the pizza had cooled enough for the cheese not to be scolding. Still, Elsa had gone wide eyed, cheeks turning bright red. Anna smiled, raising her hand whilst pursing her lips slightly in an attempt to stifle the laugh. Elsa's mind had gone blank. _QUICK, WHAT DO I DO. YOU CAN'T JUST SIT HERE WITH CHEESE ON YOUR FACE, YOU FOOL_. Elsa considered ripping off the hanging cheese from her mouth with her hand, but that would look gross. Instead, she had decided for the much less gross option of using her mouth to attempt to reign in the offending cheese. When she began to carry out her decision it had taken a second to realize that she was pulling all manner of ridiculous faces to do so. Anna had burst into a fit of laughter, unable to control herself any longer. Elsa wasn't sure how often her entire head had turned red from embarrassment, but she knew after tonight she wouldn't be able to forget this instance.

_Just use your hand you fool..._ Elsa slipped in the remaining cheese into her mouth, eyes downward cast. When Anna had opened her eyes mid laughing fit and saw the tomato puree mark that had been left behind, she fell onto her back with laughter. Elsa raised a hand to her chin, suddenly made aware of the mark by the roars of laughter from Anna. An idea came to her mind.

Elsa got on her knees, leaning over the redhead as she lay laughing. It had taken Anna a moment to calm before she found the blonde raised over the top of her, hands either side of her head, face above her own. Anna's laughs subsided, eyes growing wide, her heart thumping uncontrollably. The stain had been forgotten, eyes only flicking between Elsa's eyes and her lips. The blonde neared, smell of faint lavender growing only stronger. When Elsa's lips had been close enough to brush against her own, body nearly pressing against hers, Anna's heart had been practically throwing itself around her chest. Her breathing quickened. Body filled with anticipation, she let her eyes fall shut.

Elsa smiled slyly when she saw her eyes shut. _Gotcha_. Elsa quickly moved her head up so that her chin pressed against Anna's forehead. A large tomato puree stain now marked her too. Elsa jumped back, grinning mischievously as Anna rose, still in shock. Anna touched her forehead, noting the tomato puree that was on her finger. "Oh, you're _so_ dead!"

Anna began to chase the blonde across her apartment. Elsa was laughing as she ran from one side to another. Elsa was quick and nimble on her feet, but Anna wasn't afraid to jump over furniture in order to close the distance. After a solid five minutes of cat and mouse, Elsa had been cornered in the kitchen. She clung to the kitchen top, lowering herself to the floor whilst gasping for air. "Mercy, my lady. Mercy!"

Anna approached, keen to exact her revenge upon her messy eating assailant. Elsa raised a hand to over dramatize her fear of the impending punishment. Anna instead sat on the floor next to Elsa, pressing herself against the cupboard. Elsa sighed with relief before lowering her hand to sit with Anna. _Gotcha._ Anna darted her head to the right and licked Elsa's cheek.

"EWWWWW!"

Anna began to laugh between gasps of air. Elsa glared at her, Anna stuck her tongue out. Grinning at her sweet revenge. "Now we're even."

Elsa sighed, "Not yet." Elsa paused for a moment, partly to catch her breath, but also to find courage for her next question.

"How does dinner at mine tomorrow sound?" Elsa remained looking forward, afraid to look to her left in case Anna would reject her. She felt something press into her shoulder. She turned to find Anna beaming, passing her a kitchen paper roll.

"Dinner sounds great."

* * *

Anna had found her way to apartment 23. She practically had to lift her legs with her arms to walk the last few steps. She stopped in front of the brown door. Now should couldn't raise her arms to knock, it was like her body was her enemy this evening. She shot a hand out to tap against the door three times. "Just a minute!" Elsa's voice shouted from behind the door. Anna's heart was pounding. _Crap, crap, crap. Calm down, breath!_

Anna's panic was disturbed by the slamming of a door further down the hallway. A ginger, muscular man came storming down the hallway carrying a bunch of red roses and a bottle of wine in hand. "Stupid damn, Valentines", he was muttering to himself. Anna couldn't fight the urge to stare. The ginger boy noticed her looks, stopping briefly in front of her. "Here!" He shoved the gifts into her hands, "Maybe you might make more use of them than that heartless-... URGH!" The boy flew down the corridor slamming the entrance door behind him. Elsa's door began to open, Anna didn't notice.

"Anna?" The redhead was stood looking down the hallway with wine and roses in her hands. She looked adorably baffled.

Anna's head jerked towards Elsa, "Oh, hi! Uh-" Elsa cocked an eyebrow at her, Anna remembered the unwanted gifts now in her hands. Her eyes went wide with shock, cheeks red with embarrassment. "OH! I-I didn't buy these. I-I mean I would obviously buy you chocolate and wine. But, there was this boy and he was all like 'Screw Valentines Day!' then gave me these gifts. Which sounds a lot weirder now I say it out loud."

Elsa blinked, confused at the story that had been cutely rushed by the redhead. She began to laugh, placing a quick kiss upon the redheads cheek. "I guess it's all the more for us then", she winked. The redhead blushed. Elsa took the roses, grabbing Anna's free hand before leading her inside. "Come on!"

Elsa's apartment was certainly a lot cleaner than Anna's. There were two doors either side as she entered, one slightly open revealing a bedroom. Straight ahead lead to an open plan kitchen on the left, much like Anna's own. On the right was a glass coffee table with a black leather sofa pointed toward a TV. The wall to the left of the sofa had three windows the size of the wall, paintings either side of the windows. A table had been set out before the windows with two chairs, glasses and napkins. From the window a busy street could be seen. People on their way home from work, buses and cars passing, streetlights beginning to turn on with dusk settling upon the day. The apartment wasn't the biggest, but Anna loved it.

"You clean much better than I do!" Anna said in awe of the pristine condition of the apartment.

"My trick is to hide the stuff in the kitchen cupboards. I don't have a closet." said Elsa. Anna giggled.

Elsa lead them to the table by the window. Anna looked up to admire the paintings by the windows. "Did you paint these?"

Elsa smiled at her, "I wish! I'm no where near that good."

Anna cocked a brow in her direction, "Who told you that?"

Elsa blushed, "Uh- no one. But trust me, I've seen good paintings. To them I look like a five year old with a paint brush."

"If I can't be hard on myself about my cooking, then you can't be about your painting. Deal?" Anna extended her hand towards Elsa to agree on the terms.

Elsa took the small hand, shaking it lightly whilst the two smiled at each other. "Deal."

Elsa considered the effort Anna had put into her previous evening. _She cooked for me, showed me something that she enjoys, that she isn't confident enough to show everyone. I have to be willing to put myself out there as much as she did_. Elsa rose from the chair abruptly, grabbing Anna's hand. "Come here, I've got something to show you." She lead the younger girl to the room across from her bedroom, stopping to grab a key from her pocket to unlock the door. Once the door opened, Anna squinted to make out anything in the darkness. There were shapes but she couldn't make any of them out. Elsa flipped the light switch.

The room had a desk along the right wall. Painting supplies neatly stacked in a corner, though pieces of paper with half finished drawings and pencils spread across the table. Against the left wall was a large wooden cupboard. At the far end lay an easel with a sheet over the top, blank canvases leaning against the side. There was a coating of dust over most of the objects in the room, Anna could tell that Elsa hadn't been in here for a while. Elsa sighed a deep sigh as she approached the covered easel. She lifted off the sheet to reveal a large painting. It took a moment for Elsa to step away so Anna could see the contents of the painting. Anna couldn't help but let her mouth fall open at the sight. Elsa had painted a palace, but not just any palace, one made entirely of ice. A finely detailed ice staircase lead up to the main door. The structure itself had so many mixes of blue that Anna had never seen before. Light blue for the large main doors. A darker blue for the several pillars of thin ice that shot from several levels. The base of the palace had a deep blue with a lighter green to give the palace a slightly ethereal look. The top floor of the palace had another set of doors leading to a balcony. The crowning piece was the peak of the palace. A large, significantly detailed, sculpture of a snowflake stood. Elsa had the sunlight in the painting make it glean.

"Elsa... this is beautiful." Elsa blushed, but hadn't raised her head from the gaze on the floor. Anna walked over to her, intertwining both of their hands. She raised them to bring them up in front of their chests. "Seriously, Elsa. There is no part of this painting that could've been painted by anyone but a talented painter. Hell, I'm not even sure I could replicate any of the colours, forget paint the thing!"

Elsa laughed, raising her eyes to meet Anna's. "You really think it's good?"

"Are you kidding? I'm pretty sure if you painted that chicken dinner I made last night; it would be so good it would some how emit a better smell than the one I cooked."

Elsa giggled, "I'm not sure about that, and I thought we agreed to not be hard on ourselves about this sort of stuff?"

Anna smiled, "Thank you for showing me, I know this means a lot to you." Anna placed a kiss on her cheek. Elsa blushed.

An aroma filled the air between them, it irritated Anna's nose. It certainly wasn't any chicken. "Can you smell burning?"

Elsa immediately snapped out of her daze, "CRAP!" She shot past Anna, sliding slightly as she flew out of her painting room. She headed straight for the oven to pull what looked to be a cremated pork. Elsa looked upon it with defeat. Anna came into the kitchen silently. "Ugh, I had one job..."

"What do you mean?" Anna asked, puzzled by the sight.

"I didn't even prepare this myself", Elsa said quietly. "My friend Violet came over to get this ready for you when you arrived. She said 'Just don't forget about the timer'. Then what do I do? Forget the damn timer."

Anna walked over to stand next to Elsa, both of them looking over what could have been a pile of coal on a tray. Anna placed an arm around the blondes body, hugging her to her side whilst rubbing a hand on her back. She rested her head on Elsa's shoulder. "You don't have to impress me with fancy food Elsa."

"I know. It's just you went to all that trouble yesterday. With your super cooking, the magnificent painting, the pizza... the kiss." Anna blushed at the mention of the kiss. "The only thing I had to offer today was a TV."

Anna turned Elsa to face her, this time it was her that was going to cheer the other. Elsa had already cheered her so much in three dates. "Elsa," She cupped her hand around Elsa's cheek "I don't need food, pictures, TV, chocolate or anything to impress me." She paused for a second to consider how to approach her next words. "Four days ago, do you know what I was doing?" Elsa shook up head side to side. "I was sat looking through job notices in shops. It took all my strength but I had finally got the courage to step outside for the first time in a few weeks."

Elsa blinked, she sensed the young girl was about to tell her something she hadn't told many people. Elsa waited patiently for the redhead to continue. Anna sighed deeply. "Each day before, I woke up, watched TV, went on the internet, skyped a bit with old friends, maybe ordered online shopping. But that was it."

"That day though, I woke up and said 'Hey, you know what? Let's go back and get my life moving again'. On my way to the job center I happened to pass a restaurant with a notice that mentioned a speed dating evening that evening. So out of some kind of madness I forced myself to go. Every bit of me wanted to run away when I first stepped in there." Anna's voice turned shy. "Then, just as I was going to run, a blonde with brilliant blue eyes walked in, flushed from being late. I don't know why you arriving made me want to stay, but I figured you looked just as nervous as I did. So if you were being brave and was sticking around, so was I."

"Elsa, in four days I've been out more than I have in a long time. I've had physical company for the first time in forever. Some one to ask about how I'm doing. Making me laugh when I'm sad. Giving me confidence in the things I like doing."

Anna rose her eyes to stare into Elsa's, "So believe me, Elsa Helland, when I say this. You're the only thing that I need to be impressed."

Elsa could see the tears begin to well in the redheads eyes. Anna looked as though a large weight had been lifted from her shoulders. A deep confession that she hadn't ever put to words. Elsa wrapped her arms around the younger girl and hugged her closer than anything she had held before. The other girl embraced her, nestling her head inside sweet smelling blonde hair. The two girls spent a moment enjoying each others comfort before Elsa pulled back her head. Without waiting she found Anna's lips with her own. Warm sweet lips followed the motion of the cool soft ones. The kiss was neither pity nor because it was expected. Both girls had locked lips because something deep inside had clicked. Each girl knew that between them existed only peace, that in this moment they knew all the pain the other had felt. They knew of the joy and the sorrow; the fury and the calm; the fear and the hope. In their beings they had connected on some level that could only be expressed through the simplest and strongest display of love. In that moment, that was the reason they had kissed. Though much as they wanted to stay in that moment, forever, time is always moving. Their kiss was rudely interrupted by the screeching of Elsa's fire alarm.

The two simply stopped and laughed at the situation. They had to raise their voices slightly to hear each other.

"Hey Elsa?"

"Yeah?"

"Don't happen to have a box of chocolates around for dinner do you?"

* * *

Elsa wobbled as she stood on top of the chair, attempting to disarm the unrelenting fire alarm. By the time she had managed to turn it off she was certain she was deaf. Anna had found the kitchen window and was using her hand to fan smokey air out. The smoke cleared after a while. Elsa hopped down to open the fridge.

"I've eaten takeout for the past three days, I'm determined to not become the best customer at the Chinese." Elsa declared.

Anna grinned, coming over to inspect the fridge. She spotted a few ready meals at the bottom. "Hey, sweet and sour chicken sounds good."

"Chinese... but not from the Chinese, fantastic! But do you really want to eat ready meals on a night out? I thought a chef such as yourself would be offended by the notion?"

"Are you kidding? They're great! Might not taste the best, but it saves washing up."

Elsa laughed. "I can't say no to less washing up!"

As the microwave whirred; turning the meal slowly, Elsa brought Anna back to the painting room. _At least microwaves turn themselves off when they're done. Stupid ovens_. She lead Anna over to the large cupboard.

"I didn't quite show you everything. The palace is probably the one I've spent the most time on."

She opened the cupboard full of canvases. Anna looked at them giddily, Elsa gestured her to flip through them. Each one Anna pulled out brought back memories. Paintings from years passed. Nights at 3:00am, sat in her pyjamas in her parents house, painting away. Elsa wondered why she had stopped painting when she moved.

Anna pulled a painting out of a knight. "Who's this?"

Elsa smiled fondly, "Joan of Arc." A painting she hadn't seen since she was 17.

"I remember the name but um-... is it dumb if I ask you why she's famous?" Anna said biting her lip.

Elsa smiled, "Not at all. She was a girl who, despite having no military training, convinced Charles VII to have her lead the French army against a besieged city of Orléans. She lead them to victory and was hailed as 'The maid of Orléans'."

Anna remembered how the tale ended, "...And she uh- she was burnt alive for witchcraft, right?"

Elsa nodded solemnly, "Yes. But that isn't the reason I painted her. I took the tale to show that with enough determination, despite age or inexperience, you can win against the odds."

Anna wanted to ask if that was why Joan was remembered in history, but she stopped herself, considering Elsa's moral of the story. "I suppose all that matters is the moral you take away, right?"

Elsa smiled, siting in the chair by the desk "Right"

The microwave pinged. "I'll be back in a sec', keep looking through if you want!"

After a few minutes of ripping back the film and serving the food onto plates Elsa called out to Anna,"Hey, you want to come sit by the table?"

"You mind if we eat in here?" Elsa felt her heart flutter, she loved the way Anna enjoyed looking at her paintings. Even if every person in the world told her she was a bad painter, so long as Anna enjoyed it she would paint for her as long as she could lift a brush.

Elsa returned to the room, placed the food on the desk then dragged an extra chair into the room. Anna was looking curiously at a more recent painting of an eye. It had no colour to it, but the eye had a glint of hope and trust, eyebrow relaxed above. "You mind if I ask why you painted this one?"

Elsa sat on the chair, crossing her legs. She smiled, gesturing toward Anna with her fork "Tell you what, why do you think I painted it?"

Anna sat with the painting on her lap, eyes deep with concentration. "You'll cringe really bad if I tell you."

Elsa laughed, placing a hand on top of the redheads. "I promise I won't cringe, it's all about what the individual sees."

"You... well I think the eye is looking at their partner. The eye speaks innocence and vulnerability, yet the glint behind it shows that they yearn to be with them. The relaxed posture of the eyebrow suggests that they are calm, that they trust whoever they are with."

Elsa was shocked, it was pretty much the identical things she saw, perhaps even spoken a bit deeper. In truth, she painted the eye because she was into painting random things at the time. But she had made sure to include as much emotion as she could when she realized it wasn't going to be another throw away.

"Are you sure you're not a painter?" Elsa inquired suspiciously. "Because you certainly have an observant eye of your own."

Anna blushed from the compliment, picking up her fork to begin eating. "I'll paint for you one day, show you how good you are compared!"

Elsa loved the idea of getting to see Anna paint, her heart warming. Her eyes turned to the clock on the wall. It was getting late, and they hadn't even begun dinner yet! She looked toward Anna who was devouring the food hungrily. Elsa brought a hand up to scratch at the back of her head. _Do I ask her? Is that too forward? __I don't want to creep her out_-

"Everything alright?" Anna was smiling at her, "Foods delicious by the way! My compliments to the Violet." She teased.

Elsa grinned, "Very funny. Um- listen." Elsa bit down hard on her bottom lip to give her courage "Uh- do you want to maybe uh- stay the night?"

Anna's lips came together, she looked as though she had wanted to jump at the chance, but Elsa could tell what the answer was going to be. "I really can't tonight, I'm sorry." Elsa's heart sank. "I-It's not that I don't want to! Believe me! I just have to run a few errands in the morning. I need to go to a few meetings and I need to be at home." Elsa nodded, the blow wasn't so hard now. She knew when she had asked it was likely that the other girl might have plans. "I'll tell you more about it tomorrow, ok? Over a meal out? For -um... for Valentines day?"

Elsa's heart jumped back up, she had completely forgotten Valentines was tomorrow. _Valentines with Anna..._

"Where do you have in mind?" Elsa beamed.

* * *

**Seven Dates: Where does love exist? Is it a mixture of chemicals in the brain? Some part we call the soul connecting with another's? Many authors, painters, musicians attempt to describe love in some way. I myself am no different to those before, but I'd like to think that some part of love is what exists between Elsa and Anna in this chapter. Enough emotions. Follow my profile or Tumblr(umbra-sedent-mortis) for updates. Stay strong, keep an eye out and thank you for reading.**

**P.S I totally had to Google why Joan of Arc was famous. I've lead a sheltered life.**

**Umbra Mortis**


	5. Chapter 5

Seven Dates: Chapter 4

* * *

"Look, this is really important to me. You think you can get everything ready on time?"

"No need to tell me again, I know this guy means a lot to you."

"Uh- uh... her name is Elsa."

"Elsa...? EVERYBODY, SHE'S BRINGING A GIRL!" Cheers came from the back room.

Anna had gone bright red, unable to push down the embarrassment. After a long moment with Anna's head in her hands, Bulda pulled her arm down, "Listen dear, we'll have everything ready, just show up when you are."

Anna forced herself to smile, but in truth the thought of everything going wrong tonight was too hard to ignore, "We'll be here around seven."

* * *

'Hey! Am I still good to pick you up at half six?'

Elsa smiled down at her phone. Anna had been texting non-stop all day, frantic with all the planning. 'As good as I was a few hours ago!' she replied.

'Good, good! Make sure you dress warm, okay?'

'Blast! I was totally going for denim shorts and a t-shirt in February.'

'Ha. Ha. I'll see you at half six!'

Elsa grinned to herself whilst walking down the high street. It was only an hour until the redhead would be picking her up. Anna kept the location of the Valentines date a secret. No matter how much she had interrogated the girl the previous evening, she hadn't yielded. Elsa even resorted to the tried and true method of licking the girl's forehead. "You can be as gross as you want, I'm not telling," She had said, folding her arms, putting her nose in the air. After a few seconds they had both begun laughing at the act. Yes, the redhead was doing her best to be as secretive as possible, which Elsa didn't mind. It only made Anna look that much more adorable when she had to use all her strength to stop herself from spilling her plans.

Elsa had been shopping for hours to get ready. She even considered getting a new outfit, she had spotted a potential outfit with a black and blue dress in a shop window. Though, when she had gone in to ask an assistant for it, the man had maintained that the only dresses in the window were white and gold. Elsa had eventually given up on the idea. The text from the redhead advising to dress warm made her glad she didn't buy it.

Eventually, Elsa made her way to the final stop, Mr Gusteau's Chocolateire. The cashier recognized Elsa the moment she entered. "Ah, my appreciator of chocolate! Where is your friend?"

"I'm meeting her later, but I need your help."

"Oh?" The man cocked a brow at her, "How can I be of assistance?"

Elsa smiled slyly, "I need a Valentines gift that will give an appreciator of chocolate a near overdose."

The man winked at Elsa, "I have just the thing..."

* * *

Elsa stood outside the apartment wrapped in a white coat and jeans. The coat complemented her figure well, looking skinny enough to accentuate her curves, yet the hidden double layer of the coat made it too warm to wear for even a second inside. Underneath Elsa had chosen a long sleeved white skinny top with a shirt over the top that blended a dark and turquoise blue, she was also wearing a cardigan just in case. Elsa was sure she could cook a small meal underneath this many layers. Still, the layers meant that virtually no cold was reaching her skin, it was more like being stood outside on a summer evening.

Out in the distance a gentle rumble could be heard, growing louder by the second. Elsa's mouth dropped open as Anna Christian pulled up along side the pavement riding a Vespa scooter. She turned off the ignition, pulling out the kickstand with her foot, removing the helmet to reveal her hair in the cutest little bun, "Happy Valentines Day!"

Elsa's mouth was still wide open, her voice spoke joy but she was unsure about what was happening, "H-Happy Valentines!"

Anna popped open the under seat storage to reveal a dark blue helmet, she threw it Elsa's way, "Hop on!"

Elsa caught the helmet firmly, but looked at it as though it was an object from another world. The redhead stood to approach her, smiling warmly, "Sorry, I should have checked that you were good to ride beforehand. We can grab a taxi if you like."

"N-No, no! It's fine, it's just I've never been on a scooter before."

The redhead intertwined her hand with Elsa's, leading her over to the scooter, "No need to be afraid of it," She sat Elsa on the back. Elsa felt as though the thing was going to topple the moment Anna let go, Elsa flailed her arms wildly before clutching onto the seat as hard as she could. Anna giggled at the spectacle before sitting in between Elsa's legs. She guided Elsa's hands to wrap around her waist, both girls faces blushed at the proximity of one another, "We'll go slow at the start, okay?"

Elsa nodded, Anna switched the ignition causing Elsa's grip to tighten harder. Anna gasped as though the blonde had just winded her, "S-Sorry!"

"No problem! If I have to go without oxygen for a bit to get you going, then that's good with me."

Elsa laughed nervously to attempt alleviate the fear in the pit of her stomach. Anna pulled in the kickstand and pushed off at the blistering speed of ten miles per hour. Elsa clutched to Anna as though she was dangling from a pole with a large drop beneath. She scrunched her eyes shut, pressing her head into the back of Anna's shoulder.

"You doing alright back there?"

"Yeah, just promise me that we're not breaking the speed limit."

The gauge read fifteen miles per hour.

"Nope! Not yet!"

After a few minutes of looping Elsa's block, the blonde's grip became looser, her head coming from behind the redhead's shoulder to rest on top of it.

Elsa took a deep breath in, "Okay, I think I'm ready."

"What do you mean? This is the date, we're just looping the block all night."

Elsa nudged her helmet into Anna's back, Anna began to laugh, "Alright, alright! Here we go!" Anna picked up a bit of speed, whirring off towards a road leading to the mountains.

After getting over the initial shock of the burst of speed, Elsa actually begun to enjoy the ride. The thrill as Anna revved the engine to match the speed limit was something Elsa hadn't experienced before. Thoughts of falling off and tumbling down the road were long forgotten, the redheads body was warm and comforting to grab onto.

After a ride that passed all too quickly, Anna pulled into a turn that lead towards a series of large wooden cabins, 'The Mountain Healing Centre' the sign read. Anna came to stop in a space outside the largest cabin, not many cars were parked around the cabins.

Elsa jumped off the scooter pulling the helmet off, still on the high from the adrenaline that came from the ride. "That was insane!" she beamed at Anna.

"Yeah! We almost broke twenty at one point!"

Elsa whacked Anna over the shoulder gently with the helmet, Anna feigned pain, clutching her shoulder, "Just for that, you can ride home!"

Elsa's joy of the ride was instantly replaced with fear. Looking over the shoulder of Anna had been daunting enough, never mind actually being in control of the thing. "Relax, I'm kidding," Anna smiled.

Elsa moved to place the helmet in the storage, Anna locked her own helmet around the handle bars. Elsa intertwined her own hand with Anna's, "I didn't know you rode a scooter?"

"Yeah! I haven't done for a while, but I figured if I'm trying something new tonight, then you should too!"

Elsa regarded the redhead curiously, "How do you mean?"

Anna clasped her free hand over her mouth, "I've said too much already, you'll have to wait and see."

Anna approached the large cabin's door, knocking three times, once, twice, then twice again.

"Ready!" cried a voice from behind the door.

Anna turned Elsa around, leading her back past the bike, "W-We're not going inside?"

"Nope!"

"Then where?"

Elsa's vision went dark, the redhead placed her hands over her eyes, "You'll see!"

Elsa moved at a slower pace as not to fall from the several stones that covered the ground, they eventually moved onto grass. Elsa was thankful that she hadn't chosen to wear heels this evening.

They came to a stop, "Right, you ready?"

Elsa made a noise of affirmation.

Anna pulled away her hands to reveal a table on top of a wooden floor underneath a open white gazebo. The table was bathed in the warm glow of a hanging lamp, the table was set with further candles to give a bit more light for eating. Past the gazebo was a few meters of ground before a drop, below stretched a valley with a river running down the centre. Towards the horizon the water opened up into the fjords, the night sky was clear, stars twinkling brightly, giving the water a reflection almost as beautiful as the girl that stood before her. Anna pulled off the leather biker style jacket showing a black top that cut just above her collar bone, the light green cardigan brought out the glint of her crystalline turquoise eyes. The sight of it all made Elsa's heart skip a beat, no one had ever gone to this much trouble for her on any date, it didn't matter that it was Valentines day.

She moved quickly to embrace the younger girl, placing her lips affectionately upon the sweet ones of the redhead, the slightest hint of chocolate still on them. Anna let her body fall back a bit whilst Elsa supported it with her hand. After the moment of serenity Elsa pulled back to stare into her eyes, "This is the most beautiful place I've ever been brought to... with the most beautiful girl I've ever seen."

A full body blush took hold of Anna from the affectionate kiss and compliments, "D-Does this mean you like it?"

Elsa pulled her mouth into a lop sided grin, "I love it."

* * *

A short waiter brought them their drinks, a glass of red wine for Elsa and lemonade with ice for Anna. The waiter was dressed in a tuxedo, behaving in a well mannered fashion. Every time one of the strangely smaller waiting staff came up to Elsa; Anna would notably tense, gripping the table cloth. Once their drinks had been served and the short man walked off, Elsa leaned toward Anna, placing a hand on top of hers, "You don't have to be afraid you know? They seem really nice."

Anna breathed a sigh of relief, "I know, it's just sometimes they can get a little out of control."

"How so?"

"The first time I was introduced to them by a poli- a-a guy, they practically tried to make me marry him on the spot!"

Elsa pretended to not notice the accidental slip in words, laughing at the story with a hand over her mouth, "So how long before you said yes?" Elsa teased with a mocking smile.

"Very funny. I didn't even know his last name, his favorite food, or anything really! Plus he wasn't my type."

"Not blonde?"

"Not a bad enough cook," Anna winked.

The scent of food filled the air, Elsa looked over to see a group of waiters and waitresses with plates in their hands. Despite the uneven ground beneath them, they carried the food with no trouble. One of the waiters pretended to trip at one point but whirled in a spiral then knelt in front of Elsa with her plate. Anna looked as though she as going to have a heart attack. Elsa thanked the waiter before complementing him on his acrobatics. The food smelled delicious, garlic buttered button mushrooms along side gammon and lightly crisped baby potatoes. Elsa reflected that garlic and fish might not have been the best choice for a date, but the waiter provided both girls mints before bowing and leaving.

Anna breathed once the food was placed, "We did it! Food first time without something happening!"

"Just wait until the table leg gives out," Elsa shook the table slightly to imitate the motion.

Anna looked like she was prepared to catch the table, turning red once she realized their food was safe. Elsa laughed, the redhead stuck her tongue out.

The food had been as good as it smelled, Elsa savored every last mouthful. Anna watched her with a small smile on her face. Elsa could tell that Anna had put a lot into the night, but something hinted in her eye that she was nervous about something. Their conversation had been sparkling during the meal but there was a slight undertone suggesting that Anna had something to say. The redhead was now staring at her plate, pushing her fork about, "Are you okay? You seem a little more nervous than usual."

"Uh- yeah! I just um-, I need to tell you somethi-"

The waiters and waitresses appeared, interrupting the impending announcement by removing the table. Elsa and Anna were ushered out from under the gazebo whilst it was pulled down. Everything was taken away, a bench was placed where the gazebo and wooden floor had once been, the serving staff gestured from them to sit. Elsa's confusion only grew, she turned to Anna who tried to smile sweetly, but there was a look of despair in her eyes as she looked between Elsa and the valley below.

Elsa leaned toward a waitress, "Do you think you could give us a few minutes?"

"Oh, I understand dear," The woman winked, "We'll give you all the time you need."

Elsa sighed, choosing not to take offense from the inference.

Elsa lead Anna to the bench, placing hands on top of hers, she was crying, "Anna? Anna what's wrong?"

Quiet sobs came from the redhead, she lowered her head, embarrassed by her tears, "I'm being dumb, don't mind me."

Elsa drew the redhead into her shoulder, rubbing small circles with a thumb on her arm, "This place, it means a lot to you, doesn't it?"

Anna shook her head in confirmation.

"You came to this place at a bad time, didn't you?"

Anna's sobs began to die down, nodding again. Her voice was quiet, almost a whisper, "Elsa, I-," She paused for a moment, "Tonight, I was going to tell you everything. But each minute it came closer, the more it loomed, I just couldn't shake the thoughts from my head."

Elsa squeezed Anna gently, "I told you before, you can tell me when you're ready."

The two were silent for a moment, only concentrating on each others breathing.

"Three years ago, I was at University. I hated it, but I could stand it enough to get a decent grade. Then... then my parents died. At first I couldn't get it into my mind that I'd never see them again, that it was just me..." A tear ran down her cheek, Elsa brushed it away with her finger, "I carried on, I buried myself deeper in work, stopped seeing friends, stopped leaving my room, I just worked. But it hurt to do it, to keep going, everyday felt like it seeped more out of me. Then... one day after a lecture I-I bought a bottle of wine and started drinking. Everything was better, I could be happy, even if it was just for a few hours. But it went from a drink every week, to every few days, to after every lecture, to the point where I just needed to be... numb."

Elsa held her tighter to give her courage. Anna took a deep breath, "That Christmas I went back to my parents' house, drunk. I began trashing it, smashing the windows, ripping down pictures, blaming them, blaming the world, blaming myself. I didn't want to look at any of it anymore, to remember that I ever had a family. The police eventually came and... arrested me. A police officer, Kristoff, took care of me. He pushed for terms of my release, that I come to a recovery centre, this centre..." Anna shifted away from Elsa to the other side of the bench, her voice was a bit louder but shaky, "It was a dumb idea, who brings someone to a rehab clinic for Valentines?"

Elsa rose, her understanding clear now. She crouched in front of the redheads gaze, more tears were streaming down her face. Elsa rested her forehead against Anna's, "The people here looked after you, got you back onto your feet until you could face the world again, right?"

Anna closed her eyes, her voice drawing quieter, "Yeah," She turned to look out to the valley below, putting one of her hands back into Elsa's, "I sat here on this bench, all that time ago, and I promised myself. I promised myself that one day I'd come back here, sober, happy and able to look forward to the future. Tonight, when I was eating I looked up at the beautiful woman who changed my life and I wanted to say it. I wanted to tell myself that I kept that promise... but I couldn't."

"Why not?"

"Because I hadn't told you a thing about it all. I told myself that I wouldn't ever be able to find the courage to tell you."

Elsa cupped Anna's cheek, "...You did just tell me."

The girl looked down, her hands were trembling, the stream of tears became a flood, "And why would you want to be with a nutcase like me now, right?"

Elsa kissed her lightly on the lips, "Anna, that promise you made three years ago. It was a big one to make. In your darkest moment you did look forward, you pictured yourself on this bench in how ever many years it would be, you could see yourself happy. Not many can see a light in such darkness. I don't care what your self depreciating thoughts say, you pulled through. I don't see a 'nut case' in front of me. I see a strong, beautiful young woman who can stand against the darkness, who I wouldn't trade no matter how many chocolates I was offered." Anna giggled, "Our pasts can be soul crushing at times, can bear down on us when we need strength. Anna, our past doesn't define who we are, nor does it determine what the future will be. We are defined by the person we want to be, who we choose to be in the moment. And who you are in this moment is Anna Christian, a woman who I know is sober, happy and can look to the future."

Anna leapt off the bench to embrace Elsa, they fell to the grass, lips locked. Under the twinkling night sky the two girls ignored the irritation of grass upon the skin, the bite of the winter air, nothing could come between them in this moment.

They laid their after a time staring up, "Elsa?"

"Yeah?"

"Will you say the words with me?"

"It would be my pleasure," She lifted the redhead up and lead them to the bench.

Leaning against each other, looking at the fjord in the distance, they began with each of their name's before joining in harmony, "I, Anna Christian,"

"I, Elsa Helland,"

"Can say that on this day, Valentines day, that I am sober, happy and can look forward to the future."

* * *

Anna brought her towards the large wooden cabin again, knocking her series of knocks. The door opened to reveal a shorter woman, "You ready for the next part?" Anna nodded, the door opened.

Elsa had been lead through the front door and across to the exit at the opposite end. She didn't see much of what was inside, but she was certain she saw a sign for a sauna at the side of the room. Through the exit lead a dusty path down a hill. Anna's mood radiated more calm than Elsa had felt since she first met her. She hadn't stopped smiling since they had been laid on the grass. The path twisted and turned until it veered sharply, the sight around the corner was truly breath taking. There, in the silence of night, was a frozen lake. There were two pairs of white ice skates on the ground.

Anna turned to face Elsa, "You tried something new out today, and so will I."

"H-How did you know I like ice skating?"

"I may or may not have peeked at your collection of trophies on the way to your bathroom"

Elsa grinned, she understood why she had been told to dress warmly now, "Is this place always frozen at this time of year?"

"Yeah! We're far enough up in the mountains that the temperature usually keeps the lake frozen until spring."

"Is it safe?"

Anna pointed to her friends around the edges of the small lake, "We'll stick to the edges just in case, but they'll be ready to grab us if the worst happens."

They began lacing up the skates, despite the security of having Anna's friends around the edges Elsa couldn't help but feel fear. The worry was soon washed away once the redhead grabbed Elsa's hands and began leading them onto the ice.

The two stood for a moment, Anna slipping every now and again. Elsa looked her in the eye, "You ready?"

"Nope."

"Want me to ride with you around the block a few times?" Elsa faced Anna and began pulling the redhead slowly in a small circuit, "Don't worry about trying to stand, glide and pivot!"

It took a few laps but the redhead's balance steadied, but her body language was still stiff, "Follow my lead, okay?" Elsa tugged a hand gently, "Pivot," the redhead pushed with her front foot, "and glide."

They soon began to pick up a bit of speed, while the lake wasn't large; it gave enough space to use as a sort of runway. When they reached the end Elsa began to slow them down to allow Anna to turn. The first time there was no turning, Elsa held on tight whilst the redhead dove for the grass pulling her along too. The two simply laughed in the bundle of limbs, "I guess that isn't how the professionals do it?" said Anna rubbing the back of her head.

"There are usually barriers you can go into and hide behind to avoid onlookers. In the professional scene you don't get points for how spectacular your crash is, unfortunately. Otherwise I'd be a pro by now!"

They began again, flying down the runway of ice. Elsa looked over her shoulder to spot the oncoming turn, this time she slowed much earlier, moving both their hands to the side to signal Anna to begin turning. Many a turtle could have passed them, but eventually they turned. Anna's face lit up the moment they completed the action, "WE DID IT!"

"See? Not so bad once you get going!"

They completed more lengths, getting faster each time round, Anna giggling at the thrill. By the end, Elsa was sure that they were going faster than Anna limited them to on the scooter. They escaped off the ice with Anna being able to cover her own little circuit without a single wobble. She had been able to slow, stop, and turn all without Elsa's help, "Hey, if you keep up with it you could probably get really good!"

Anna laughed, "Tell you what, I'll start doing ice skating lessons as soon as you learn to ride a scooter. Deal?"

Elsa shook Anna's hand with a grin, "Deal."

The two girls began to unlace their boots whilst Anna's friends left the lake side, content that they would be safe. The air had grown bitterly cold with the clear night and the high mountains combining a chill that made the body long for a warm bed. Even with the leather jacket on Anna was shivering uncontrollably. Elsa pressed her close, wrapping an arm around her waist, the girl's shivers soon came to a stop. Elsa reached inside her coat pocket, _I guess now's a better time than any_.

"Anna?"

"Mmm?" The redhead didn't look up at her, she was too busy enjoying Elsa's warmth, head pressing further into her shoulder.

"Happy Valentines!" She passed the young redhead an envelope. The redhead stopped to open it,

_Anna,_

_Maybe it's not a finely cooked meal, a stunning painting, or a kiss to stop time, but it's something I think you'll enjoy._

_Just promise me you'll leave the place at some point. I don't think Mr Gusteau would be happy with you sleeping in the shop._

_Happy Valentines,_

_Elsa_

Attached was a note from Mr Gusteau inviting Anna to spend a week learning the trade of a chocolatier. Anna's eyes went wider than Elsa had seen them before, her mouth was wide open, "You're serious?!"

"Well, yeah, I don't think it would be very comfortable to sleep on a shop floor anyway."

Anna hugged the blonde tightly, "Thank you, it's perfect!"

"Thought you might like it. I did have to sign a contract saying that you wouldn't devour the entire chocolate store, though."

"Really?"

"No, actually he said you can eat as much chocolate you make."

"Oh. My. God." Anna hugged the blonde again, bringing her lips up to meet Elsa's, "You do realize I'm going to put him out of business because of this?"

"It's his own fault, I warned him how much you like chocolate. I don't think he believed me."

The two approached Anna's Vespa, and the same question that pained Elsa the previous day was now on the edge of her lips. _You can do this, ask her,_ "Anna, do you maybe want to stay over tonight?"

Anna smiled her sweet smile, unhooking the helmet from the handlebars, "That sounds like the best idea all night."

* * *

**Seven Dates: High upon a mountain top sat a girl enjoying nothing more than the beautiful lover in her arms. I believe it's important to have a place like Anna's mountain top, a place where we can recover, think our deepest thoughts, and find peace. For us, this doesn't have to be some awe inspiring place with a view of the fjords, it can be our bedrooms, our couch, or even a chocolate shop. The important thing is that times can be tough, and that place might be the only thing that stands between staying sane or doing something we regret. Please, seek help if you need it. Follow my profile or Tumblr(umbra-sedent-mortis) for updates. Stay strong, keep an eye out and thank you for reading.**

**Umbra Mortis**


	6. Chapter 6

Seven Dates – Chapter 6:

There were times when Elsa had awoken to thoughts of despair, anger or disappointment for the day ahead. Today was not one of those days. She lay there with an unfamiliar warmth by her side, a feeling of contentment deep in her heart. A large smile spreading across Elsa's face as she turned to look at the girl who brought such joy. Anna's face was the picture of peace, but her wild auburn hair and large trail of drool from her mouth nearly sent Elsa into a fit of laughter. Instead, Elsa marvelled at the cuteness of the redhead. Yes, today was going to be good day.

Elsa crept out of the bed making as little noise as possible. There was a spring in her step while she made her way to freshen up. Anna had been so much happier ever since she revealed her troubled past, Elsa could tell. There was no look of fear when Elsa gazed into Anna's eyes, just the warmth of her kind heart shining through.

Elsa padded into the kitchen to switch on her kettle while preparing a coffee for herself and some juice for Anna.

"Don't look at my hair!" Anna sprinted from Elsa's room clutching the untamed flow of red.

Elsa stifled a laugh to avoid embarrassing Anna further. Elsa browsed the cupboards for a suitable breakfast. The problem with living by yourself is that cheap cereal soon becomes the choice of breakfast. Cheap cereal was the last thing Elsa wanted to serve Anna, but unless Elsa wanted to serve noodles or crisps for breakfast, there wasn't much choice. However, at the very top of the cupboard Elsa spotted a hidden packet of Pop Tarts, chocolate flavoured. Elsa began standing on her tip toes to reach the ideal breakfast when a pair of hands prodded her sides. The shock made Elsa stumble, waving her arms to retain balance before falling back. She fell into Anna's arms.

"Shoot! S-Sorry!" Anna looked surprised, a hint of worry in her features.

"N-No, it's my bad! I can barely walk in the mornings, never mind trying to reach for things!" Elsa felt the fire spread to her cheeks when she looked up. Anna had managed to pull her hair back down from it's chaotic ball into flowing red locks. Elsa's heart quickened while she took in the beauty of the girl.

"So, what are you reaching for?"

"Oh! Um- it's a surprise. Hang on!" Elsa stood back up and jumped slightly while swooping the box of chocolate happiness from the top shelf. Unfortunately, Elsa didn't quite think through her plan enough to consider how to catch the box. Elsa shot a hand to catch the box, but misjudged her balance once again.

Anna steadied her with an arm around the waist, "No need to put your life at risk for me!" Anna's gaze dropped to the box on the kitchen top, "Oh. My. God. Are those Pop Tarts?!"

"Surprise!"

Elsa stuck the two treats inside the toaster and finished preparing drinks for the both of them. After the tarts popped, Elsa pulled them onto a plate. One of the tarts broke in half when she pulled it from the toaster and the other took many attempts to wedge free, practically destroying the top of the tart. _How is it possible that I can't make food that ha__s__ two steps to it's instructions?!_ Elsa looked over the messy, but edible breakfast, choosing which of the two was the most presentable to give to Anna. Elsa brought the plates and drinks over to the table,"Remind me to remove all kitchen apparatus from my apartment. I'm only endangering the world."

Anna smiled her sweet smile, "Everyone starts some where! We'll have to work on your toaster techniques though. I think one of the entry requirements for gourmet restaurants is to be able to cook a pop tart in one piece."

"Very funny. You best keep my cooking skills a secret. Unless you want me to show everyone those pictures I took of your hair this morning."

Anna's eyes went wide, "You wouldn't dare!"

"I can almost picture the amount of likes it would get on Facebook."

Anna sprung from the chair. Elsa ran around her tiny apartment with her phone in front of her, laughing mischievously. They looped around before Anna caught her, bringing them down to fall on Elsa's sofa. Elsa was already out of breathe despite the short distance they covered. "Too much exercise for the morning," She said between gasps.

Anna repositioned herself to lay facing Elsa on the sofa, "You only have yourself to blame." Anna stuck her tongue out.

Elsa brought a hand up to move piece of red hair that fell onto Anna's forehead. Elsa's heart fluttered while she gazed into turquoise eyes, "Has anyone ever told you how beautiful you are?"

Anna's cheeks turned as red as her hair, "I don't think 'beautiful' is ever uttered after a person sees me in the mornings."

"You look cute in the mornings."

Anna's face was now entirely red. She shyly placed a sweet kiss upon Elsa's lips, "You're too kind sometimes. Flatter someone that much and I'm sure you could get away with anything."

"Good, because I stole your scooter. I've became a master of the road now."

"Elsa, you couldn't even look up for the first ten minutes!"

"I was just giving you encouragement! I wanted you to know that I trusted you enough for you to ride without my supervision."

"And I suppose the hulk grip around my waist was to emulate a seatbelt?

"Uh- something like that."

Anna nestled herself against the curve of Elsa's neck while embracing Elsa's side. She sighed contently, "What are we doing today?"

In truth, Elsa would have been happy spending the day with Anna on the sofa. Enjoying Anna's warmth while they talked about anything and everything. But after the amount of trouble Anna went through yesterday, Elsa wanted to repay Anna as much as she could. "I was thinking about going to one of my favourite galleries. I-I mean if you want to. It's probably too boring. Forget I said-" Elsa was interrupted by Anna's finger coming to her lips.

"Of course I want to go. It'd be fun to see the paintings you love so much. You can teach me more about art!"

Elsa wondered who this girl was, and how she had been so lucky to find her, "C-Cool! The art gallery it is!"

* * *

The ride to Anna's apartment was much more enjoyable. Elsa felt the need to grab onto Anna for dear life when they had first pushed off, but Elsa found that she relaxed much faster this time. The sun was high in the sky which made for an unusually warm February day. With the pleasant day and the wonderful girl in her presence, Elsa couldn't hold back her smile. They pulled up by the pavement and hopped off.

"Hey, you're getting better!" said Anna fishing out her key for the front door.

"Yeah, I got the impression that we could go at a speed that didn't hold up the entire of Arendelle."

Anna made her way inside, placing her helmet on the table by the front door, "I'll be a few minutes, just gotta drop off some stuff and make a phone call! Get something from the fridge if you want!"

"Sure!" _A phone call... wait I haven't phoned Violet for a day!_ Elsa flipped to Violet's number, pressing the phone to her ear while sitting on the Anna's couch.

"Well, well. If it isn't Miss romance herself?"

"Very funny Parr. Listen, you free tomorrow?"

"Why, do you want to burn more of my food?"

"Hey, I apologized didn't I?"

"Hmm. Well you're lucky your _girlfriend_ can stand your terrible cooking."

"Ugh, grow up!" Elsa bit her lip at the mention of the word girlfriend.

Violet must have picked up on her shyness, "Oh, so it's serious then? This girl really has got my Icey all tangled up hasn't she?"

Elsa began scratching at the back of her head, "Look I called for a favour, not to play silly school girl games. You going to help me or not?"

"Buy the next chinese and I'm yours."

"Deal."

"Right, what do you need?"

Elsa glanced around, making sure Anna wasn't nearby, "I need you to be able to drive between seven and eight tomorrow evening."

Violet's tone turned suspicious, "Why? What are you planning Miss romance?"

"I can't really say much here. I promise I'll tell you later."

"Ugh, fine. But don't expect me to be your chauffeur for the entire night."

When the call ended, Elsa's phone flipped to an unfamiliar home screen. Some how, Anna had managed to swipe Elsa's phone and take a picture of herself with her tongue out. Elsa could only grin at the spectacle. "You do realize this means war?" Elsa called to the redhead, who was in her room.

"I don't know what you mean!" Anna appeared from the room trying to look as innocent as possible, but Elsa could see the slight curl of her lips, "We good to go?"

"Sure, you want me to drive?"

"By you driving, do you mean take a taxi?"

"I'll have you know that me and the taxi firm are quite good friends these days. I swear they give me a discount sometimes."

"Mmm. Well I would hate for them to lose their best customer. But I think I prefer riding a scooter with a seatbelt. Come on, lets go!"

* * *

The city centre was filled with people. Not a single space near the art gallery could be seen, not a car space that is. Elsa was learning the advantages of owning a vehicle that two days ago she wouldn't have dreamed of riding. Anna slipped the Vespa neatly between two cars right outside of the gallery. The gallery Elsa chose for the day was "The Green Grass Gallery". The building was only a single floor but quite spacious with many windows showing nearly all the inside. The gallery enjoyed using wood wherever possible. The gallery sign, separating walls, desks, and countless other objects were all crafted out of wood. The gallery was split into five sections, each with it's own themes, life, death, ceaselessness, reflection, rebirth.

Anna stood in awe, her mouth slightly open, "How long have you been coming here?"

"Ever since it opened last year."

"It's so pretty!"

"I'm glad you like it!" Elsa intertwined their hands before leading them to the main entrance, "Come on, we've got a lot to get through!"

Elsa paid their entry fees despite Anna's refusal. A sign was posted for visitors to remove shoes before stepping into the gallery.

"Why do they want us to remove our shoes?"

"Part of the theme of the gallery is to experience the section you're in, and your feet shouldn't miss out on it!"

The first section Elsa lead Anna to was life. The walls of the section were covered in paper leaves with occasional bits of bark lined between. The floor transitioned from the laminate of the entrance to a fake grass. There were benches that looked to be made out of branches. The only sound, other than the conversation of other people, was the soundtrack of a water stream. The paintings on the walls varied from scenes of a busy square in a city, to a family at a park, to a picture of a lighthouse during a storm. Elsa watched Anna look over the paintings in details. Anna's feet wiggled adorably while she felt the grass underneath. "So?" Elsa nudged her slightly, "What do you think the section talks about?"

Anna looked around to the paintings, deep in thought. Her face lit up when she turned back to face Elsa, "They're about what life involves!"

"Go on."

"Well, the city square talks about the mundane. As uninteresting as daily life seems, it's part of life and it's cool to see what it looks like when we're not in the middle of it. The others talk about the happiness and the trouble that can occur throughout. The times when we are with the ones we love, and the times where everything is in darkness, but a light shines. The section is all about perspective. No one picture defines the section, it's all apart of life."

"I swear, you should become a painter."

"I think I'll leave that to people who are good at it, like you!"

"Perhaps good is a perspective too," Elsa pulled Anna out towards the next section, "Come on, reflection is next!"

Reflection was vastly different to life. The floor was faded yellow stone. The benches were not benches at all, but were large pebbles. Reflection was only half of the section though, the section blended into ceaselessness. Ceaselessness was the polar opposite, the floor was grass again but with a few flowers scattered about. The lights above were bright but gave the section a warm glow. There was a distinctive smell of roses. There were no sounds in reflection, but a soundtrack of birds tweeting in ceaselessness. Of all the sections in the gallery, this blended one was Elsa's favourite, and she was excited to see if Anna could figure out the puzzle.

Elsa watched as Anna looked at the paintings in reflection. There were many paintings, but the main three were of withered flowers stood atop a tall table, an old couple laid in bed together, and a small man stood in front of a large silhouette. Anna looked adorably confused while she dragged Elsa to ceaselessness. Ceaselessness' paintings were of a sunset seen from a cliff with four people sat with a picnic surrounding them, a long country road on a summers day with a single car driving into the distance, and of a man and a woman sat at a café smiling at each other with their hands together on the table. Anna continued to look between the two sections before looking toward Elsa, "I don't get it, why are they together?"

"Reflection talks of times where we want to look back. There are times where we consider ourselves to be without worth, as old and wrinkled life, of being a person who never became the largest and are instead small in comparison. We reflect sometimes to learn from our past, but this reflection talks of when we view our lives to be wasted.

"So ceaselessness is of the past?"

"Right! We look back to the past with fond nostalgia, remembering the summer evenings with our friends, when we adventured through the unknown, when we first met our love, when everything was so much better." Elsa moved them both to stand under one of the bright lights, the heat it produced was uncomfortable after a moment. They stood back in reflection, "It's nice to look back to our ceaseless moments sometimes, to enjoy the warmth it brings. But you should never linger in nostalgia for too long, otherwise you end up being burned by not enjoying the moments you live now. We always view our ceaseless moments as the times when everything was perfect. But perfection isn't part of our experience. Those moments in ceaselessness had their imperfections at the time, but we choose not to remember them. If it wasn't for the imperfections, we would never really know how to enjoy life. We should remember that everyone has imperfections in their lives. But for the people we love, imperfections makes them perfect in our eyes." Elsa gently squeezed Anna's hand. Anna blushed, giving Elsa a shy smile.

"Elsa!" The new voice made both girls jump.

Elsa recognized the voice in a instant, "Carl!"

The eldery man approached, giving Elsa a friendly hug. He extended a hand towards Anna, "Aren't you going to introduce me to your friend here?"

"How silly of me. Anna, this is Carl Fredricksen, owner of the gallery."

Anna shook the jolly man's hand enthusiastically, "Nice to meet you. You have a wonderful gallery here. Elsa is showing me around for the first time."

"Is she now?" Carl gave Elsa a sly grin, "Well you probably have the best person to show you around. Elsa knows this place backwards and forwards. I've even offered her a spot in the rebirth section."

Anna's gaze came towards Elsa. Elsa knew the question that she was going to ask, "For some reason, Carl thinks that I can paint because I can draw a few balloons attached to a house."

"Stubborn, isn't she Anna?

Anna merely chuckled, shaking her head softly, "I know what you mean. I'm pretty sure she could paint for the national gallery and still declare herself 'the worst painter in existence.'"

The old man smiled fondly, exchanging looks between Elsa and Anna, "Well I won't intrude any longer. It was a pleasure to meet you Anna."

"Likewise!" Anna pulled Elsa down to whisper in her ear, "Why didn't you take his offer? You're really good!"

"I don't know about that Anna. It just makes me a little nervous to think about having everyone look round and laugh at my paintings."

"They won't laugh! I'll run them down with my Vespa if they dare."

Elsa placed her lips on Anna's, "You're sweet, but maybe some day in the future. I've got plenty of galleries to show you before then."

The next section was death. Elsa was uncertain about bringing Anna to this section. She decided against bringing Anna to the gallery many times in fear that she might be upset by the theme. "Anna, you don't have to look around death if you don't want to. It's not exactly the place for a date."

Anna pressed Elsa close to her side, "I have you, I'll be okay."

Death was about as cheery as could be expected. The soundtrack overhead was of a howling wind. The floor was cold, smooth, grey stone with patches of brown grass scattered about. The benches were made of birch wood, and occasional stumps could be used as single seats. The first painting was of a man sat on a pew in an empty church, looking at his well dressed, lifeless body in the coffin at the front. The second picture was of five women stood around a flowing river. The women in the painting were all the same person, but each had a different expression. One was looking away, one had had her teeth bared, one was on her knees sobbing, one was laid next to the river looking upwards, and the last was staring blankly while she dipped her toe in the river. Anna paused at the painting. Elsa linked her arm to offer reassurance, "Do you know it's about?"

"The Kübler-Ross model, the five stages of grieving," Anna's voice was monotonous, her eyes flicking between each of the women, "Denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance."

Elsa unlinked their arms to rub Anna's back, "Come on, let move on." Elsa lead Anna to one last painting, choosing not to look over the others. The final painting hung on a wall to itself was of a waterfall seen from below. The waterfall was surrounded by bright green shrubbery and colourful flowers. The waterfall wasn't one continuous flow, but was separated by several rocks. At the bottom of the waterfall was the beginnings of a large pool of water. "It's a bit cliché, I know." Elsa said rubbing the back of her head.

"No, it looks pretty!" Anna replied with her sweet smile, "The waterfall is the person, which is broken at many points by the rocks of life. But eventually it leads to the same large pool of everyone else's. There is no moving back up the waterfall when you begin, but that doesn't mean you won't see the beautiful things around you while you fall." Anna intertwined their hands again as they stood looking at the large painting. They eventually moved on in a comfortable silence.

Anna looked terribly disappointed when she saw that there was no last section, "Where's rebirth?"

"It's still being finished. It's opening in a couple of weeks." Elsa dropped her voice to a whisper, "Keep this between you and me, but Carl is still looking for a few final pieces. That's why he offered a spot to me, he must be getting desperate."

"I swear Elsa Helland, if I hear one more negative thing from you about your painting, I'll have to run _you_ down with my Vespa."

"How can you do that, when I have your keys?" Elsa jingled the keys she stole out of Anna's back pocket during the visit. Anna proceeded to chase her until a security guard raised his voice, telling them to stop running about. It was only then that Elsa realized that nearly all the eyes of the gallery were on her and Anna, they left almost immediately. Elsa could still the feel the red in her cheeks when she got outside. Anna was smirking at her and then burst out into laughter. It took only a moment before the both of them were stood laughing loudly to themselves, with not a care of the looks they were getting. Though, by the glare that the large security guard was throwing them, they decided it would be best to go elsewhere.

Elsa lead them both to the park across the street. The sun was still high in the sky while they sat upon the park bench. The park was only a small square containing a play area for children and a few paths with park benches on them. There were rows of flowers in early blossom scattered around. Anna rested her head on Elsa's shoulder. Elsa leaned her head to rest it on top of Anna's. She laced their fingers together, "So what did you think of the gallery?"

"It wasn't anything like I expected. All the ones I've seen before were just long halls with paintings hanging up and tour guides walking around."

"Yeah, I thought I'd show you a bit of a different gallery to get you started. I had to trick you some how so I could convince you to come to others."

Anna giggled before sighing softly, "Elsa, why is that your favourite gallery compared to all the others?"

"I went to it when it first opened. There were only a few people who went initially, and it started really getting to Carl. He put a lot into it, but no one was interested. I loved that despite his age, Carl was trying to do something different. He wasn't trying to be different because he wanted a gimmick, he was being different because it was the gallery that _he_ wanted to open. So after a couple of visits I offered to help him out. I started passing fliers around the city centre, asked local shops to put up a few advertisements, I even made some calls to artists asking if they wanted a spot on Carl's behalf. I know the gallery isn't exactly the best, but it's a personal thing for Carl and I suppose me as well. I put a bit of myself into it and it always makes me smile when I see it busy these days. I guess the fact I get a discount helps shift it in my favour too." Elsa began rubbing small circles on Anna's hand, "I didn't want to upset you or anything today with the whole death section. I was actually really nervous that you would think I was trying to be dumb."

"You did no such thing. This place means a lot to you, just like the mountain top, you wanted to share something close to you with me. I could never be upset at you for showing me a part of yourself."

In that moment, with her beautiful lover at her side, looking at her favourite gallery with the warm sun on her back, Elsa knew what she could do to repay Anna. The pieces fell into place. Elsa brought her eyes to meet Anna's gaze, "Anna, this is going to sound really weird, but what are you doing in a week and five days at seven o'clock?"

"Uh- I don't know. This week is the most planning I've done in years. I imagine I'll be doing something involving chocolate, I guess."

Elsa brought both her hands to rest on Anna's, gazing deep into turquoise eyes, "Promise me that you'll be free that entire evening, okay?"

"S-Sure!"

Elsa placed her lips upon Anna's. She could taste the faintest trace of chocolate while Anna's warm lips glided over her own. The moment was almost perfect. _Almost, but Anna deserves perfection._

* * *

Anna brought the Vespa to a slow, steady crawl as they reached the side of the pavement outside Elsa's apartment, "Thanks for showing me around the gallery, I had a awesome day!"

"No problem! What do you want to do tomorrow?"

"I was thinking about just us two staying in on the sofa, maybe watching a few movies?"

"Well I'm glad you said that, I really didn't have anything to top the gallery!"

Anna laughed before giving a departing kiss, "I'll text you later!"

Elsa waved while she watched the girl with her heart ride off around the corner. _And now we begin_.

Elsa pulled up Violet's number in her phone.

"Miss Romance, what can I do-"

"Parr, I'll pay for the next two chinese."

"You didn't even get done with the first thing yet!"

"Forget that, I was just going to take Anna to a fancy restaurant. This is much better."

Violet sighed down the phone, "Ugh, fine. But I'm serious about not being a chauffeur, Icey."

"Look, this is serious. I have an idea how to show Anna what she showed me."

"Icey, you _do_ realize that you haven't even told me what you two did for Valentines."

"Oh, uh- yeah, sorry. It was really sweet and personal and-"

"We're friends Icey, but I don't want intimate details."

"Ugh, what I _was _going to say is that Anna showed a big part of herself to me. I didn't think I could ever find a way to show her something that beautiful, but I think I can now."

"Elsa, you're really not making sense."

"I'll tell you over chinese."

"Why can you never tell me n-!"

Elsa hung up before Violet could begin her rant. _One down_. Elsa made her way into her apartment moving straight into her painting room, dialling Carl Fredrickson.

"Hello?"

"Hello, Carl? It's Elsa."

"Elsa, how wonderful of you to call! Is everything okay? I heard you and your friend made quite a fuss with the security guard earlier."

"Uh- yeah, sorry, we kind of forgot that we were in the gallery."

The old man chuckled lightly down the phone, "Ah, it's no trouble. How can I help you?"

"I want to take up your offer on the spot in rebirth."

"Y-You do?!"

"Yes, under three conditions."

"Go on."

"One, the painting I'll provide, it'll be one you haven't seen before, but it fits the theme. I'll show you it beforehand if you're worried and I'll explain a bit of the story behind it. Two, you open the gallery late the day before the new section opening and allow a few people I know to visit. Three, I get to show rebirth the day before it opens."

Carl was silent for a moment, "You speak strange terms Elsa. But you've helped me so far, and I trust you enough to know that you mean well. Let me see the painting and meet these people before, and the gallery is yours for the evening."

"Thank you. I promise to explain more nearer the time. If there is anything more you want, it's yours."

"I'll consider it, thank you. Have a pleasant evening!"

_Two_. Elsa pulled her brushes and paints from the supplies draw. She pulled her largest blank canvas onto the easel, placing the ice palace painting into her cupboard. She looked at her phone, smiling fondly at the picture of Anna with her tongue out. _Now all I need is a little help from some friends. Then it truly begins. For her._

* * *

**Seven Dates: Life, death, the times of reflection, the days of ceaselessness, and our rebirth. Our lives are all different, we each take our own path. Our experience is vast, and there are many views on each of these subjects. I merely covered a few small views from a perspective. Elsa wanted to show Anna the gallery to show this piece of herself. Perhaps true love is when you can fully reveal yourself to someone. But how much can you reveal in seven dates? One date remains. Follow my profile or Tumblr (umbra-sedent-mortis) for updates. Stay strong, keep eye out and thank you for reading.**

**Umbra Mortis**


	7. Chapter 7

Seven Dates – Chapter 7:

The weeks passed Anna by, weeks where she had never been so happy. Each day with Elsa would make her heart sing with joy. No matter how Anna felt when she woke up, she could guarantee that her day would get better the moment she saw those beautiful blue eyes, the flash of platinum blonde and the smile that could melt the coldest of hearts. Yes, each day with Elsa was one that would be with Anna for the rest of her life, she was sure of it.

But in the past few weeks, for a few hours of the day, Elsa would disappear. Anna was sure that it was nothing sinister because when she questioned her about it, Elsa would get shy and tried to change the topic. The only thing that Elsa would tell her would be to keep the 27th of February open. In fact, Elsa would check with her daily that she kept the date open.

"You're certain that you will be able to make it on that day?" Elsa asked her one day while they were laid on the sofa with a movie on in the background.

"Elsa, I'm pretty sure the entire world knows that you want me to be free on that day. If anyone did try to make plans with me on that day, I think there might be a media outcry. I can picture the headlines now, 'Anna makes plans for the 27th, everyone hunt her down.'"

"Very funny," Elsa said nudging her softly, "I just want everything to be perfect for you."

"For me? Why? What are you planning?"

Elsa averted her gaze when Anna looked towards her. She was trying to look as innocent as possible, but Anna wasn't buying it. There was only one technique that Anna would use in this situation, tickling. Elsa tried to grab Anna's hands before they could reach her sides, but it was too late. After several minutes of torture by tickling, Elsa still wouldn't give up the information.

"You'll just have to wait and see," She said laid on the floor, out of breath, with Anna at her side. Despite their weeks of tickling and chasing, neither Elsa or Anna were any better at running around for long periods of time.

Now, today was the day, February 27th, evening. There had been no word from Elsa all day, which was odd. They usually spoke at least once, even if it was just to ask what each of them had done for lunch. The only contact that came from Elsa was a text at nine in the morning:

'_Stand outside your apartment at 6:30pm and let your day begin. Elsa x_.'

There were two strange things about the text. First, Elsa signed with a kiss. Elsa wasn't usually a person who put kisses on texts, she always told Anna that she saw it as too cheesy and preferred kissing her in person. The second strange thing was that Elsa wanted to meet outside Anna's apartment. Usually Elsa would knock at the door, or Anna would pick her up from work or at her flat. Could it be that Elsa finally booked her scooter CBT and was going to surprise Anna by picking her up for dinner? Anna tried to picture Elsa driving a scooter, but she could only see the look of pure fear that would be on Elsa's face. Elsa was still a little scared when she got on the back of Anna's scooter, she still clenched to her for dear life for the first five minutes. Anna didn't mind though, she enjoyed having Elsa's arms around her, it made her feel important.

Anna stood outside her apartment at exactly six thirty. There was no one on the street, much to her disappointment, only a car outside her apartment.

The car window wound down.

"Anna?" Violet smiled at her warmly, waving for her to get in, "Come on, you've got a big day ahead of you. I don't think Icey would be pleased if you put her behind."

"W-What? Where are we going?"

"All will be revealed. There was no way Elsa could drive you there, so she called upon me... again, to do her driving for her."

"So she bought chinese for you to be her chauffeur?"

"Hey, I'm _nobody's_ chauffeur. She put it as 'personnel delivery expert', I believe."

Anna hopped in the passenger seat of Violet's spacious car, "I swear, I'll buy her driving lessons one day, just so she doesn't have to keep asking us both. Then we'll ask _her_ for lifts all the time!"

"Sounds like a solid plan to me! Now, there is one condition before we set off," Violet pulled a blindfold from her glove compartment, "You're not allowed to see where you're going, Icey's orders."

Anna looked between the blindfold and Violet.

"I know, it's strange. I tried to explain to her, but you know what she's like."

Anna put the blindfold on and sat back in the passenger seat. A slight buzz of excitement was coursing round her body, "So can you tell me anything about tonight?"

"Just that Elsa has spent a lot of time preparing this for you. She really cares about you, you know?"

Anna could feel a warmth rise in her cheeks, "I know, I just don't want her to feel like she has to do these things for me."

"Mmm. I admit, I didn't really know that Elsa could be quite so romantic before she met you. I guess she's really had her Icey ways melted at last."

"How do you mean?"

"Well, you know, she always used to be about work. She said she didn't have time to go out and meet boys or go out and socialize. I had to practically drag her out sometimes just so that she had a social life."

"Didn't she get lonely, working all the time?"

"Truth be told, I think she was. She never admitted it to me, we usually kept off the whole emotional talk, but I could see that she would get a little down if she hadn't been out for a while, so I started meeting up with her more often. And that, Anna, is how Elsa began her fast food addiction."

Anna had met Violet many times over the past few weeks. They got on almost straight away, talking about Elsa's little habits, much to Elsa's protests. Only from Violet did Anna really learn about how much Elsa wrapped herself in work. Violet said that Elsa had come from a very academic family, always pushing for her to University and find a nice stable job in something like the council. Anna guessed that was why Elsa was so reluctant to begin her painting career.

After a few minutes, Anna felt the car come to a stop. She raised her hand to remove the blindfold, but Violet stopped her, "Ah, ah, ah! Not yet. We've got to get you inside first."

Violet helped her out the car. There was only a short walk before she heard some doors pulled open in front of her. By the change in temperature, Anna guessed she was inside.

Violet guided her to sit down, "Take off your shoes."

"Wait, what?"

"I know, more strange stuff, but I was told you have to take off your shoes."

Anna began unlacing her shoes, it was much more difficult than she expected with a blindfold on. When she took off her last shoe she called out to Violet, but no reply came. Anna removed the blindfold after a minute to see a room in darkness and a spotlight just in front of her.

Anna stepped into the spotlight. Someone took her arm, making her jump slightly. Anna looked up to see a tall figure with blonde hair in a police officers uniform.

"Kristoff?"

"You were lost."

"Sorry?"

"The first time I saw you, you were lost." He began walking Anna forward towards another spotlight that had turned on, "I could see that a cheerful, young girl was lost in the darkness and needed someone to guide her forward. Gripped by a grief that no one that young should experience, her way clouded by a substance that claims so many. I knew there were people who could help you, so I took you to them." Kristoff let her go in the middle of the second spotlight. He disappeared into the darkness.

Another person took her arm, a shorter figure this time. It was Bulda, "So we found you lost in the darkness, guided a few steps forward into the light. But you still couldn't see it." Bulda walked her past several spotlights, "We began to show you what we could see. There were tough days where you went backwards, but everyone has those days. I watched you sit on that bench, on the mountain top, looking over the fjords, and I heard you make that pledge. When I heard those words, I knew you were ready. I knew that the Anna we saw was there and now she was ready to begin again." Bulda stopped them after three spotlights, "But we could only show you so much. We had to let you find what we saw in your own way." Bulda walked off into the darkness.

Anna was alone for a minute, looking around, unable to see anything in the darkness, "H-Hello? Elsa?"

The familiar scent of lavender filled Anna's nose. Elsa stood beside her, linking their hands together.

"I was lost. I woke every morning, went to work, did my hours, nine to five, ate chinese with Violet occasionally and went to bed. My life wasn't anything like I expected it to be. A salary, a flat, some friends, sure I couldn't complain. I thought maybe that's what adult life was like. Something to get you by until you got old. 'You can't complain, because you're better off than a lot of people. You should be happy and count yourself lucky.' That's what I told myself and that's what I thought the rest of my life would be, counting myself lucky for having a job and not complaining. But there was one question I didn't ask myself."

Elsa began leading them forward into the darkness, a spotlight turned on in front of them after a few moments. They came to a stop again.

"On the 9th of February, I walked into a restaurant for a speed dating night, on my way to meet my friend Violet."

"I apologized!" Violet shouted out from somewhere in the darkness.

"There I sat at a table, alone. After one speed date, I was sure that I could do the rest of the night, but I wasn't sure that I'd meet someone I could call a partner. Then, a girl with wonderful auburn hair, cute freckles on her cheeks and light in her eyes sat across from me. In under two minutes she asked the one question I couldn't ask myself: 'What makes you happy?' So, on a whim, I marked down to get her number, certain that every man at that evening would do the same. I thought that she wouldn't even consider asking for my number. But at the end of the night I received a piece of paper with one number on it. Your number."

Elsa began walking them into the darkness again, faster this time. More spotlights came on to keep up with their pace.

"From the moment I called your number, my life changed. The light from within you spread into my life. I watched as you showed me what it meant to be happy. I saw then that I didn't have to work nine to five each day and call it the rest of my life. I saw that with you, I could have a happy life."

They came to stop in a spotlight after Elsa lead them up a few steps, there was a wall in front of them.

"Then you told me something, a story which clouded the light inside you. High upon a mountain top, with you in my arms, you showed me a piece of yourself so close to you. You trusted me enough to tell me something that you had trouble telling anybody. I wanted nothing more than to comfort you, to hold you in my arms and tell you that you would never see darkness like that again. But I wasn't sure if I could be that person to protect you from the darkness. I didn't know how to show that big a part of myself to you. I wasn't sure if I was anywhere close to the kind, funny, beautiful person that you are."

The spotlight above them shut off. In the darkness, Anna could feel Elsa's trembling hands around hers. Anna gave them a gentle squeeze and whispered, "It's okay, I've got you."

"Two weeks ago, I walked into my painting room and started a step towards the light with you. I called Carl and told him that I would paint for him under three conditions. But, there was one more that was significantly important than everything else. Tonight, you are that final condition."

A spotlight shined onto the wall in front of them. There, framed, stood a large painting of a bench on a mountain top overlooking the fjords. The landscape was finely detailed but in greys, dark violets and greens. In the distance, the sun was setting behind the mountains. The only real flash of colour was the two people sat on the bench. Both had long hair, one was auburn and the other blonde. The red head was leaning her head against the blonde's shoulder. The plaque beneath the painting read 'The pledge'.

A spotlight came onto them. Elsa was gazing into Anna's eyes, "Anna, the world can appear to be full of mundane activities; anger; jealousy; hatred; and sorrow, the greys and the darkness that clouds the way forward. The sun sets and we worry that our lives will be nothing more than darkness. In the moments where we don't want to look any more, we must tell ourselves that we have to look forward otherwise we would get lost. In these moments, I will always remember that mountain top with you next to me, to remind me to look forward. Anna, I didn't know a way to show you how much you mean to me, so I painted this to show you a piece of myself. But I realized that on that mountain top, you pushed yourself to express your feelings. Today, I felt I owed you this explanation to push myself, to speak aloud to everyone, to show how much you mean to me, to show that in my own small bit of darkness you illuminated my life with your light. And now, I pledge one thing. Anna, I will always protect you from the darkness, and I will try to be the colour in your life as you are in mine. I will be with you for as long as you see me as the colour and not the grey or the darkness. This painting will hang here as long as you want, I will tear it from the wall if you ask. The final condition is then, do you want this painting to hang here?"

Anna gazed into deep blue eyes, the eyes she had gazed into many times over the past few weeks, and she knew. She knew that Elsa wasn't a girl that just put up with her, Elsa was someone who wanted to be her equal, to be her partner. Anna hugged Elsa with more affection than she had shown in her entire life. With tears in her eyes, she placed her lips upon Elsa's soft ones, "This is the most thoughtful thing a person has ever done for me. The painting will hang here forever."

Elsa kissed her again while the Green Grass Gallery turned on all of it's lights. Anna could see the banner above that read 'Rebirth.' Anna's friends from the recovery centre along with Violet, Kristoff, Bulda and Carl Fredrickson emerged from behind the gallery walls, applauding. Anna enjoyed every last moment of Elsa's soft lips.

* * *

"So you mean you put everything on my approval?" Anna flashed a bemused look between Elsa and Carl. Anna hadn't unlocked hands with Elsa since they first came together this evening.

"Yes, Elsa, in her stubborn ways, insisted that I didn't write her a cheque until she had your approval," Carl looked at the both of them with a wide grin, "While it may be unconventional, I saw how much this meant to Elsa, so I gave the go ahead for this evening."

"You're very kind Carl, I can't thank you enough for allowing this evening," said Elsa.

"Not a problem. Enjoy your evening ladies, but don't stay up too late! You two have the opening of reflection tomorrow," Carl gave them both a wink before heading off to speak with some of the other guests.

Elsa lead them behind the gallery wall where they could speak alone.

"So, all those nights you snook off for a few hours, you were painting this?"

"Yes," Elsa nodded, "I needed some way to show you how much you meant to me. I was sat on that park bench with you, that day when I first brought you here, and it clicked. I knew that the only way I could show as much bravery as you did, was to take a step into the darkness I feared so much, to begin my art career. Before I met you, I wouldn't have dared to step into the darkness. But I knew then, in that moment, that with your light to guide me, that even if Carl were to reject the painting or everyone laughed at it, I would still have you there at my side. I knew I only needed to paint for you because you are the one that cared about me enough to encourage me to seek the things I enjoy. This was my final way to show you that I trusted you. I gave you this decision and would accept your choice, because I knew you would make the right one. If you asked me to tear down the painting, I would have done. As much as this was about me showing how much I trusted you, I wanted you to be happy with the painting too. The mountain top is a personal place for you and I wanted to show everyone what it meant to me that you showed me that place. I wanted to show everyone-"

Anna interrupted Elsa with another long sweet kiss, "Elsa, you don't have to explain yourself to me. I want you to be happy! I could never deny you this opportunity, especially when you painted something with such passion just for me. I would have been happy if you just drew me a stick woman and put the caption 'Anna you mean a lot to me' underneath."

"Well that was my first painting, but I thought Carl wouldn't be happy with that as the crowning piece for rebirth."

Anna nudged Elsa's shoulder softly with her head, "The point is, that mountain top, it isn't just mine, Elsa. That place is a personal part of me, yes, but you are as well. That mountain top is ours and I will not remember it only for the dark time I went through. I will remember it for the time that I showed the darkest piece of myself to the girl who is means everything to me, and how she accepted who I was without questioning. I will always remember being wrapped in your arms on that mountain top. I will remember it because it was one of the happiest moments in my life. Every moment with you is one of the happiest times of my life."

Anna enjoyed a short kiss before Elsa began leading them away again.

"Where are we going?"

"We just have a few more things before your final surprise."

Elsa brought them to stand on the stage of rebirth, "Ladies and gentlemen... and chauffeurs."

"Hey!"

"I hope you enjoyed this evening, but I'm not here to force you to stare at paintings. Tonight wasn't about art. Tonight was about this wonderful young woman at my side and how you have helped us both in our rebirth. I thank you all for your help. I know, I have pestered many of you over the past few weeks. I don't believe in perfection, but I wanted this evening to be as close to perfection, for Anna. I believe with all your help, we have come close to perfection. Thank you again and good evening."

Elsa lead them off the stage, hurrying through the applauding crowd.

"Where to now?"

"I'm taking you home to my apartment. We're going to break out a stash of chocolate I've been saving for today, and we're going to eat chocolate in bed. How does that sound?"

"You had me at 'stash of chocolate.'"

* * *

Elsa stood outside the Green Grass Gallery in the smartest dress she could find in her wardrobe. She peered through the glass double doors of the main entrance. As much as the banners marking 'Rebirth' reminded her of the wonderful night with Anna last night, today was a different story. There was no weeks of planning and preparation for this moment, everything went into last night. Elsa realized that she should have at least considered _how_ she was going talk to everyone about her painting. She tried to recite a formal speech in her heard, but it all fell apart as soon as she pictured the judging eyes of the art critics and the public. Last night, Elsa felt safe showing everyone her painting, she was around people she knew cared about her and Anna. She knew that if Anna accepted for the painting to hang, her final worry about the evening would disappear. But today, today could be the start of a different career, a different life, if she dared to hope. But the ever present feeling of rejection still loomed over her.

That was until she felt delicate fingers weave between her own. Elsa turned to see Anna at her side in a breath taking white dress that complimented her curves well. Anna beamed at her with the cute smile that would always melt Elsa's heart, "You ready?"

All the fear of rejection was washed away in that moment. All Elsa could feel now was the warmth in her heart, "Ready!"

They went through the usual routine of taking off their shoes, a strange ritual considering the formality of the evening ahead. They passed the security guard who gave them both a strange look.

"I'm surprised he let us in," whispered Anna, "I guess he doesn't have to worry about us running about this evening."

"Well, not at first. If everything seems like it's not going well, we abandon ship and run out. Deal?"

"Deal!"

They passed the sections of life, death, ceaselessness, and reflection, which were all in darkness this evening. Today was about rebirth. The only rebirth that Elsa cared about was hers and Anna's. A rebirth that started nearly three weeks ago now.

When they were shown round the other paintings they both had small smiles on their lips, because they had seen them already. The only difference between now and last night was that they were amongst strangers. Elsa breathed an internal sigh of relief when she saw equally nervous looking painters stood next to their paintings. Eventually, they padded across the foam floor to walk up the steps to the crowning piece, the large painting that had a wall to itself, Elsa's painting. Elsa took a deep breath, the nerves began to break through when she saw some people already crowded around the painting.

Anna gave her hand a gentle squeeze, "Hey, it's okay. I'm with you."

She gave Anna a smile, but she could feel the fear creasing it, stopping it from being as bright as it should be. Anna deserved her best smile.

Elsa pulled them to the side, behind the gallery wall. She was breathing heavily, "Anna, I don't know if I can do this. I'm... I'm scared."

Anna pulled her in close for a long, affectionate hug, "Elsa it's okay to be afraid. We stand on top of the tallest towers in these moments, looking below into the darkness. If we step back we worry that we will grow old in our towers of safety, never seeing the world below. But if we leap from the tower, there's always the uncertainty that we'll break our necks, or that life was better in the tower. There is no one there to push you and there is no bungee cord to guarantee your safety. I was always told that we make the leap alone, and that we are the only ones that jump in the end. That isn't true." Anna locked both of her hands with Elsa's, "Today, Elsa Helland, we stand atop your tower of safety, together. If you want to jump, we'll jump. If you want to stay, we'll stay. One thing is certain, I will be at your side no matter what you choose. So," Anna pulled them away from the wall to stand in the middle of a small space, "Which do you choose?"

Elsa closed her eyes for a moment. She remembered the first time she painted on a canvas and showed it to her parents. She remembered painting alone at five o'clock in the morning with the rain hammering down on her bedroom window. She remembered the smile on Anna's face when she first saw the painting of the ice palace. Elsa leaned forward and placed her lips upon Anna's, "We leap."

* * *

The phone rang on the lazy Sunday afternoon. The phone hadn't stopped ringing last night and it looked like today was going to be the same way. Elsa's painting had been a huge hit with the art critics and the general public. At one point, Elsa was even interviewed for the local paper. One of Carl's conditions had been that Elsa bring a portfolio of all her paintings the week before. Unknown to Elsa, Carl was showing them to the people who liked her painting in rebirth. Now they were ringing to buy them from her.

Seeing Elsa have success with the start of her painting career brought that much more joy to Anna's life. Elsa didn't leave her side all night, she even brought Anna in for the interview, introducing her as the most important person in her life and her inspiration for light. By the time they left the gallery, it was late at night. They decided to sleep at Elsa's apartment.

Now, Anna woke to the phone ringing. She quickly noticed that Elsa wasn't next to her.

"Elsa?"

"Just one minute!"

The phone stopped ringing and Elsa walked into her bedroom with a tray. The tray had two plates with pop tarts, chocolate flavoured, not burnt or broken; a glass of orange juice for Anna; a coffee for Elsa; and a phone cable wrapped up neatly in the corner.

"Two of the finest gourmet chocolate pop tarts for breakfast, along with a glass of your favourite orange and a phone that will not ring all day," Elsa placed the tray on Anna's lap and crawled in bed next to her.

Anna gave a hug with a quick kiss on the cheek, "Thank you! But are you sure you want to unplug your phone? What about all the people wanting to buy your paintings?"

"My paintings will still be there tomorrow. For today, I want to spend the day with the young woman who took a leap with me."

They sat enjoying the breakfast, discussing all the events of last night. Anna remembered when Elsa found out that Carl had been showing people her paintings, she looked like she was going to faint. They laughed about when one of the top art critics gave Elsa positive feedback on a few of her paintings. In that moment, she had momentarily forgotten how to use the English language. Initially, Anna had to make the appropriate responses for her, until Elsa found her ability for speech again.

"I thought I was going to have to get you a chalkboard or something," Anna teased finishing off the last bite of the chocolate pop tart.

"Hey, I was just giving you the chance to mix with the art community a bit more!"

"Were you also impersonating a ghost?"

"Very funny," Elsa put the tray on the floor and pulled them both to lay down on the bed facing each other.

"So hot-shot, you've got me for the day, without phone calls to interrupt. What do you want to do? Do you want to go see another gallery? Perhaps go riding around for a bit in the mountains? Maybe even stop off at Mr Gusteau's to pick up some more chocolate?"

"I think today, Anna, I'd be happy spending the day with you, here, curled up in bed," Elsa placed a soft, slow kiss upon Anna's lips. "But I guess one trip out for a chocolate resupply couldn't harm."

* * *

**Seven Dates: In our lives, we are given many chances to take different leaps. Sometimes there are so many places to jump from, so many places that we could land, that we are scared to leap. Sometimes the only choice we have is to leap or crumble with our towers of safety. In those moments we have to catch our breath in the air and hope that we land without injury, or that we are still alive the next day. Each of our leaps are different and I couldn't stand next to any of you and promise that everything will be okay. A fact of life is that there will always be the unknown. There will always be the uncertainty in the darkness. There is only one way we can find out if we made the right choice and that is to take the leap. That isn't to say that there aren't times to remain in our towers. Sometimes when we are given the first chance to leap, we take it, not considering the drop below. Sometimes a bit of patience will offer a better landing spot, or less chance of injury. I cannot guide you in your leaping moments, but I can ask a question that might help: What truly makes you happy?**

**I began this story with a question in the description: 'In seven dates, how much can you really know about someone?' Honestly? You can know a lot about a person in seven dates. They could give you their biography on the first date and ask you to recite it each night until the seventh. At which point, I would admire your patience to stick with that person for even one date. By the time you get to the seventh, you could probably tell them their life story better than they could. But that isn't _knowing_ a person, at least not in my eyes. To know a person is to understand them, to know their darkest fears, to know their brightest dream, to be stood with them and know what they see when they look at something. In Elsa and Anna's story, they certainly learned a lot about each other in seven dates and that probably isn't realistic. Even if you were to experience a similar seven dates, it takes time to really know a person. Time is a big factor and it might be years before you know that person. But that's okay, there is no rush to fall in love.**

**I might write one more chapter showing Elsa and Anna one year from when they first met, if there is demand for it. If not, then, this is the end of the story, and I have only a few more things to say (*yawn* bare with me, I know).**

**In February 2015 I took the leap to write my first standalone Elsanna fanfic, in two genres I have never touched. I know this isn't a great piece of writing, but I'm happy I could try something new and tell the story I wanted to tell. To some of you, writing a fanfic might seem scary, but if a bad writer such as myself can make it this far, then I know you've got a good chance. I ask that you take the leap if you ever consider it. I would like to thank you for reading if you made it to the end of the story or even if you just read a chapter. All of your reviews, favourites, follows, kept me happy in sad times. If you never read a piece of my writing again, then this is where we depart. Follow my profile or Tumblr(umbra-sedent-mortis)if you want to stick around. Stay strong and thank you for reading.**

**Edit - 20/04/14: After many kind comments I have decided to write an epilogue for Seven Dates. I guess for one last time in this fic you can keep an eye out! Thank you for reading Seven Dates!**

**Umbra Mortis**


	8. Epilogue

Seven Dates – Epilogue:

_One year later_.

"Quick, quick!" Elsa had burst into Anna's apartment and pulled her away in the middle of microwaving a quick snack.

"But my chicken mayo sub!" Anna reached her hand out longingly toward the whirring microwave but it was no use.

Elsa flung open the front door "Bah-dah!" She cried, sweeping her arm towards the little vehicle by the pavement. She watched in a quiet sort of excitement while Anna's jaw dropped at the sight.

"You... You actually bought one!" Anna's tone was a little high with surprise.

Elsa had finally bought herself a scooter. After a few months of learning to ride, admittedly after a little pushing from Anna, Elsa had passed her motorcycle test which meant only one thing for them.

Anna gripped Elsa's arm, "You _have_ to take me out. Right now."

"What about your chicken and mayo sub?"

Anna disappeared inside and returned with a dark blue helmet in one hand and a sub with a bite taken out of it in the other. "Let's go!" She said with her mouth half full.

They got onto the bike, while Elsa put on her own helmet and Anna finished her sandwich. Elsa carried out all her proper checks, like any freshly passed student does, and turned the key in the ignition. The little engine spluttered into life and held in a low grumble. A sudden nervousness clenched Elsa's stomach. She had ridden with her instructor at her back, but now her instructor wasn't there, there was no one there to make sure she was doing everything correctly.

"Ready when you are, master of the road." Anna teased.

"Right." Elsa took a deep breath. She brought in the kickstand and gripped the handlebars tightly, but the scooter didn't move. The scooter slowly began to tip to the left and Elsa stuck her foot out onto the road to steady them. Half a minute passed and they still didn't move.

"Uh- Elsa? You do realise that we can't teleport, right? Unless you bought a teleporter to look like a scooter, in which case, good work!"

"I know, I know. Don't worry, here... we... go!"

There was still no movement. Elsa sighed in defeat as the engine continued to grumble away.

Anna brought her hands from the grips at the side of the scooter and placed them around Elsa's waist. She leaned her head over to whisper in Elsa's ear, "Don't worry. You don't have to go if you don't want to. I should stop pushing you like this."

"No, it's fine," Elsa said, turning her head to meet Anna over her shoulder. Emboldened by the warm, slender arms around her, Elsa gave Anna a quick kiss upon the lips, "Hold on feisty pants!" Elsa pushed off to begin their ride. Today was their one year anniversary and Elsa knew that this would be the start of a special day for them both.

* * *

Elsa stood in her bedroom, looking over the three outfits spread out across her bed. She always thought it silly to fuss over appearance so much, but today was different, today she needed to look her best for Anna. Anna promised to pick her up at six, saying that she would drive to return the favour of the earlier ride. Anna had secretly picked the restaurant for their anniversary meal.

To see the amount of effort Anna was putting into the evening made Elsa feel bad for the lack of her own. The year between them both was one that flew by filled the sweet bliss of romance. Every day Elsa would have the joy of waking and turning to see Anna lay at her side with that same bright smile, the smile that could turn the dreariest winter days into ones filled with nothing but sunshine. For each moment they spent together, the world seemed to pass them by and neither one of them cared. But as fast and joyful as the year was, it wasn't all as Elsa had planned in her head. Her art career kept her busy almost every day. Her phone constantly rang with new clients, galleries wanting to display her work, or owners making suggestions for contests. It exhausted Elsa to no end. It was the career she always dreamed of but it never stopped. There were days when she would have to call to cancel a dinner she and Anna had planned; days where she had to rise and dash across Arendelle to a meeting before Anna woke; days where she was so tired, she could barely lift herself from the sofa. Through all of this, though, Anna stayed by her side. For each cancelled dinner or early morning meeting, Anna understood and accepted Elsa's thousands of apologies. On the days when Elsa was too tired, Anna would make them something to eat, switch on the TV and curl up beside her on the sofa wrapped in Elsa's arms. Not once did she ask Elsa to sacrifice a day or a meeting her own sake. All this Anna did without a word and Elsa knew that needed to change. Anna might have planned the restaurant, but Elsa had a card up her sleeve, a card she knew would change everything for the both of them.

Elsa continued to fuss over her chosen outfit until her phone began to ring. A picture of Anna with her tongue out flashed on the screen with her name underneath. Elsa pressed her new, unnecessarily large phone to her ear, "Hey! Is everything okay?"

"Yeah! Just making sure you hadn't fainted after the scooter trip. You looked a little white when you dropped me off."

"That was only because all my blood had rushed to my limbs so I could show off my scooter skills."

A light giggle came down the phone, "Whatever you say. Just be sure to remember me when you get in with some hardcore biker gang."

"I'm sorry, I can't make any promises. It's part of the biker code."

"Hmm. Well biker extraordinaire, I'm setting off now. You want me to come upstairs or you gonna' meet me outside?"

"Meet me-" Elsa's phone buzzed, a call was waiting on the other line, "Uh- meet me-"

"Someone's calling you, right?" Elsa could hear the slight tinge of disappointment in Anna's tone.

It brought a fury about Elsa to think that business could interrupt their special day together. "Don't worry about it. I'll sort it. Meet me upstairs, I'll be ready," She made sure to sound as reassuring as possible.

Elsa flipped to the call waiting once she hung up. It was a client asking if another painting could be added to their current order. On any other day Elsa would have been happy to discuss the matter, but she was still angry with herself for the interruption. She made clear to the client that she wouldn't deal with any business since she had told them and several others that she was not be disturbed today. She hung up before the client could protest. As soon as she put the phone down, it rang again with a different client this time. Elsa cursed under her breath while she answered and repeated a similar conversation. After a few minutes, Anna crept into the flat while Elsa was hotly debating on the phone with a gallery manager.

"I made it quite clear that I am busy today. Call me back tomorrow. -No I haven't a few minutes. Goodbye." Elsa threw down the phone with an exasperated sigh.

"No rest for the wicked?"

"It appears that way since the wicked figured out how to use a telephone."

"We can push it back a bit if you like."

At that Elsa crossed the room to lean Anna back into a gentle kiss, "There is no way I'm letting anything get in the way today. Not on your day. _Our_ day."

The phone began to ring once again. A bitter rage came over Elsa. How dare a stupid ringtone interrupt such a perfect moment. She filled a glass of water, and stuck her phone inside it. When it still blared its merry tune underwater, they slowly realised that the phone was, in fact, waterproof.

"Stupid technology advances," Elsa cursed.

Anna hugged her close, "At least you tried!" She placed a quick kiss upon Elsa's cheek, "Thank you though. It was a sweet gesture."

"I meant it," Elsa said, resting her head atop Anna's, "There's no way I'm letting my career get in the way today. It all about just you and me, nothing else. Okay?"

"Okay!"

They watched the phone as it continued singing until it ticked over to display 'One missed call.'

* * *

The scooter gently rolled to slide between two parked cars. The February night was a cold one, which made Elsa press herself that much closer to Anna during the ride. The street they were on contained only white, Victorian style, terraced houses. Elsa looked around for a hidden restaurant, but once they turned the corner she realised where Anna had lead them. A little way down a busy main road stood a restaurant with a large banner at the front which read 'Speed dating!'

"Surprise!" Anna said with her eyes full of glee.

"What better way to celebrate? Unless... wait your not breaking up with me and looking for a new partner here are you?"

"That depends how much chocolate they have. My love doesn't come cheap."

"Remind me to contact Mr Wonka immediately."

"You can't, your phone is still doing its David Blane impression in the glass of water."

"Oh yeah... Hey, you don't mind if I borrow your phone a second, do you?"

The restaurant was almost the same in every way. A lush red carpet, elegant paintings of landscapes encased with golden frames, the dark red wallpaper with black stencils of flowers pasted across it. The only thing that had changed was that a different receptionist sat at the main desk, but even she chewed gum like the other girl had done.

"You here for the speed dating?" The receptionist gazed disinterested between Anna and Elsa, labouring each chew of her gum like it was a block of toffee.

"I believe we have a reservation for two, under Anna Christian," said Anna.

The girl gestured with her head to the corridor on the right this time. It appeared that speed dating was still on the left. Elsa could hear the nervous murmurs of the crowd of speed daters and the high pitch voice of the host from the left corridor. It made her smile to think that only a year ago she was in that crowd of people, listening to the rules of the evening fly past her. Everything was so different now, and she wouldn't give it up for the world. She laced her fingers between Anna's as they made their way to their table.

There weren't too many people on the other tables, with the speed dating being the main attraction for the evening. A waiter promptly took their orders and disappeared to return with the food not long after. Elsa looked up to Anna once they began eating.

Anna was chewing on a piece of steak and gave a 'Mmm' of satisfaction, "The food is delicious here! Guess we never really got a chance to try it last time." Anna became slightly self-conscious when she realised Elsa was gazing at her, "What? Have I got sauce on my head again? I swear I don't do it on purpose!" She began rubbing furiously at her forehead until there was a small red mark.

Elsa gently pulled Anna's hand from her forehead. She began rubbing her thumb over the ends of Anna's fingers, "There's nothing on your head. I was just remembering something."

"Oh, what exactly?"

"I was remembering that one year ago a beautiful girl with auburn plaits and cute freckles sat across from me at a table. All this time later and here you are still, looking more angelic than ever, making me smile and my heart race. Despite the amount of times something has got in the way, you're still here."

"Elsa," Anna said with a blush at her cheeks, "I wouldn't want to be anywhere in the world apart from with you, right here."

"And I'm the luckiest girl in the world for it." Elsa leaned over the table and kissed Anna's lips, she could taste the hint of steak on them, "I promise that I'm going to start managing everything better from now on. No more cancelling dinners or trips out. I'm going to make them understand that you are my priority."

"You don't have to sacrifice your career just for me. I understand that you'll be busy sometimes."

"Busy has taken up enough of my time. You've asked for so little and when you have, I've had to push that back too. I'm a terrible person for it."

"Hey," Anna squeezed Elsa's hand, "It's okay! You're chasing your dream career and I could never stand in the way of that. And I've not exactly been a picnic all the time either. You bring me chocolate on the days I'm down. You encouraged me to try out for that cookery school last week when I was too busy listing reasons why I shouldn't. A relationship goes both ways. You look out for me and I look out for you!"

It was these kinds of talks that made Elsa love Anna all the more. It also made her wonder how she had been so lucky as to find Anna a year ago. "You're right. Listen, I was wondering, since we have been together for a while now, would you perhaps want to start looking at some more apartments together?"

Anna straightened in her seat a little, her eyes wide but filled with joy, "You mean it? You think you'll have time to look round at apartments again?"

"Sure. Like I said, I'm making more time for you."

Anna hugged her warmly, "This is great! I was actually thinking of that place we looked at before? You know, that one in the Victorian terrace not too far from here? It's still on the market, I think."

"Oh?" Elsa said with a small, sly smile, "I could certainly see us living there. How about we get onto to the agent tomorrow?"

"You're the best!"

Elsa devoured her chicken and pasta with crème sauce in a manner of minutes. She hadn't eaten for most of the day and her stomach wasn't letting her forget that. The waiter cleared the plates and presented a dessert menu. Elsa only had to gaze at the menu briefly to know what Anna would want.

"Elsa," Anna said like a child asking for something from a parent, "Do you mind if we share-?"

"The double brownie sundae deluxe for two?"

"Well I was going to ask if we could share the flake from it, but I _guess _you can share some of the sundae too."

When the sundae arrived, Elsa brought her chair around to Anna's side of the table. Anna rested her head upon Elsa's shoulder, occasionally lifting herself up to feed each other pieces of the sundae. It was moments like this that Elsa enjoyed the most. Where the rest of the world would be drowned out and all they needed to focus on was each other. They sat there for some time after with the empty dish in front of them. Elsa nuzzled her nose into sweet smelling auburn hair and let out a content sigh.

"You think they will mind if we just stay here?" Asked Anna.

"I don't really care about them at the moment. We'll sit in the dark if we have to. So long as I get live this moment a little longer."

Anna reached up and placed her lips on Elsa's.

They sat there for a little longer before paying the bill.

"Come on," Anna said, "We'll go back to your flat and cuddle on the sofa instead of setting the record for the most annoying customers ever."

"Sounds like a plan to me."

They stepped outside into the night. The sun had long since dipped below the horizon and a bitter winter wind blew throughout the streets. They linked arms and huddled close together while making their way back to the scooter.

"Hey, do you mind if we stop near that apartment on the way back? My friend lives a few doors down from it and I have to drop off a letter."

"Sure, but who posts letters these days? Next you'll be telling me that you have a floppy disk to pick up from the computer store."

"All right cheeky!" Elsa gave her a playful nudge, "I promise it won't take long."

The scooter ride with the cold wind was one that numbed most of Elsa's limbs, but she didn't care. The night was going as well as she planned, now there was only one thing left. They pulled up in front of the apartment they had looked at the previous week. The cute, white Victorian terrace with steps leading to the front door and black railings either side.

"No!" Anna pointed towards the sign by the front post that read 'Under Offer,' "I guess someone else took it."

"What?!" Elsa said filling her voice with a mixture of mock shock and anger, "Well this just won't do!"

"What?"

"How very dare they!"

"Elsa, calm down, it's okay. We'll find somewhere else to live."

"No! I'm going to march up to that door and demand to know what offer that person has given!"

"It's nine o'clock at night, Elsa, no one will be there! I promise, it's okay! There will be other places."

Elsa charged up the stairs and banged furiously on the door with Anna at her side. When there was no answer, Elsa tried the handle, it turned to open to door.

"Elsa! We can't just barge into an empty house!"

Elsa walked inside and into the bare, laminate floor living room. Anna dashed after her, still protesting.

"Well?" Elsa asked.

"Well what? We have to leave!"

"Is it still the place you want to live... with me?"

"Of course it is! But it belongs to someone else now."

Elsa went to one knee and pulled the key to the house from her pocket, "Anna, what I said earlier, it wasn't an empty promise. It wasn't just a few words to make you smile that wonderful smile on our anniversary. When I say I'm going to make more time for you, I mean it. Our relationship isn't just some fling, it's both of us as partners, as equals, choosing to be together and make each of our lives a happier place to be. I know this past year I haven't been able to be with you as much as I should have been, and that was a big fault on my end of the deal. I should have been there more to make you happy, to give you the love you deserve. I can change that, I will change that. We can start that change here. Today."

"Y-You mean-?" Anna looked from the key to Elsa, then all around her with a slightly open mouth, "You mean _you_ put an offer down on this place?"

"I saw how much you liked it when we looked round. I called the agent a few hours after we left and put a deposit down. I got the key and asked for them to wait a bit until I got your approval. It's yours Anna, all of it... if you want it."

Anna leapt towards Elsa, embracing her in a loving hug while showering her in kisses. The force knocked them both to the floor but that didn't stop Anna's affection. "It's perfect! All of it is! You, this place, everything!" She stopped and raised herself above Elsa, "I love you."

Elsa's heart fluttered in her chest, "I love you too." She brought herself up to put more kisses on Anna's lips while the world faded from around them. It was a moment that would be with them both for the rest of their lives.

* * *

"So you think you guys are going to need some help?" Violet said leaning against the side of the moving truck.

"We should be fine, most of the stuff is packed up and ready to go. Go and grab a coffee or something. You helped enough with Elsa's place." Anna insisted when Violet politely refused.

It was true, Violet had helped Elsa most of the morning with moving the stuff over to the new apartment. Elsa looked sheepish when Anna asked how many Chinese takeaways she had bribed Violet with.

"Well I did kind of promise her that we'd invite her over for a house warming party and make home made Chinese."

Anna blinked, "So let me guess, you plan to do all of this yourself, talented chef you are?"

"I mean, I could try and cook her Chinese noodles from a packet, I guess."

Anna folded her arms and fixed Elsa with a playful glare.

"I'm sorry Anna! I promise I'll help you out in the kitchen. I'll even take cooking lessons so I won't set anything on fire this time!" Elsa was still trying to get over the time when she cooked them both scrambled eggs on toast for a surprise dinner one night. They were both amazed when Elsa had cooked the eggs fine but some how set the toaster on fire.

Now, Anna gave Elsa a quick hug and a kiss, "It's fine, don't worry! But you're totally taking cooking lessons so I can at least trust you with the microwave."

They walked inside to Anna's old apartment. The laminate floor was covered in various boxes each marked with a label to denote their contents. Everything seemed so bare and spacious with all the furniture removed. Elsa cast her eyes around the apartment, smiling when she saw the kitchen and remembered when they first chased each other around and sat against the cupboards when they tired. So many memories came back to her now while she considered all the happy times they had spent together in this apartment, a place that had so quickly become a second home to her. Elsa jerked herself from intoxication of nostalgia when she saw that Anna had broken off and was standing in front of the painting of Arendelle castle, the one Anna's father had left behind. Elsa placed a tentative hand on Anna's shoulder, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, just thinking about my parents," Anna replied in a quiet voice. She turned to face Elsa, "Do you think they would have been happy for me?"

"Of course! Your parents loved you and they would have wanted nothing more than for you to be happy."

"I know, it's just hard to think of what they would say to me now, if they were here, seeing my future beginning to unfold in front of me."

"I think they would be proud of how far their daughter has come. Of all the things she has conquered despite being so young. I think they would smile and tell you that you're a strong willed young woman, and that they would support you no matter where you went."

There was a short silence before Anna linked her arm with Elsa's and pressed her close. They gazed at the painting placed against the wall with a sheet at the side, ready to wrap it for travelling.

"You never told me," Anna said, "What _you_ see in this painting. Despite all the galleries we've been to, I don't think you've ever gave your interpretation of this painting."

"Well, there are many things I see in this painting. I see the calm waters, the blue sky, the serenity of the castle and think of nothing but peace. I see the great, yet ageing, stonework of the castle walls and see safety. But I think most of all I see something that many people don't see in places like this, I see a home. That castle has had many generations behind those walls. Despite those people being royalty, they are still a family. A family that loved each other, that watched on as the kids grew to adults and the parents grew old and frail. They have their own lives that have been all centred around that one place, a home." Elsa lowered herself to meet Anna's gaze, "I know that our lives haven't been a perfect fairy tale, and our relationship is one that is finding it's legs, but I think now... I think..."

Anna took to catch where Elsa's voice drifted, "I think that we can have that sort of place of our own. _Our_ home. A home with it's own tales, it's own lovers, it's own centre to be lent... to us." Anna cupped Elsa's cheek and held her gaze, "Whether our lives have been fairy tales or not, it doesn't matter any more, not really. The future is laid bare before us, we don't know what will happen next, but I think that so long as we have each other, then that future will be a brighter and happier one."

Elsa drew Anna to her lips for a slow, affectionate kiss. After a moment that seemed to be a short eternity, Elsa pulled them to stand. They laced their fingers together. "Come on," Elsa gestured toward the front door, "Let's go and find our home."

* * *

**Seven Dates: Eternity, to stand together, forever, without a concern for the sands of time. There comes a point in every relationship where things go from the blissful daze of those first few dates, those first few months, to where you both must consider where the future will go and whether your relationship will stand that ever-lasting test. It's a nice idea to think that after you meet someone, suddenly they are 'the one' and the future will always be with you both together. But truth be told, that isn't realistic. There will be loves and loses, broken hearts and perhaps bitter partings, but these are the lessons of love that we must learn to understand how beautiful an eternal relationship is. It doesn't matter if your partner isn't 'the one,' you might not even be at that point to know quite yet, there is no shame in admitting that you don't see a future together. To prolong a dying relationship will turn the kindest of people bitter, for eternity is a long time, and if it feels like you are counting those grains of time instead of cherishing them, then are you truly happy? Likewise, if you haven't yet found love, then do not worry. Love is a thing that can take years, decades even, but do not despair at this. All of you have a wonderful future ahead of you and you can enjoy that time with or without a partner at your side. You do not _have_ to be in love and in a relationship to enjoy your life. Life is vast and wonderful, enjoy it only seeking your own happiness.**

**I could write this story for a long while, but every story must come to an end. I fear I would only begin repeating myself soon enough and my tale would lose meaning soon after. This story is, then, at it's end, and I have enjoyed writing it so much. I feared once that when I began I would disappoint someone, somewhere by not finishing it. I'm happy that I managed to tell my story, despite the flaws and terrible writing. I would be happier knowing if this story taught someone something, or made them laugh or smile. I hope I have done something for one of you, no matter who you are. Seek love and happiness, be filled with laughter, and stay strong. Thank you for reading Seven Dates.**

**Umbra Mortis**


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